Are you Addicted to the News? Rachel Devine
Whether you see the glass half full or half empty, leaning right, left, or center, the news is filled with sensationalized information that is detrimental to your health. Furthermore, the effects of watching the news daily can impact your life in various ways.
I was talking to my girlfriend recently about an incident in the news and found myself saying again, “I have to stop watching the news.” And she replied, “You always say that, and you keep watching.” This time I replied, “Maybe I am addicted to the news!” The addiction is similar to potato chips, it’s hard to stop eating them. I have to keep them out of the house so I am not tempted. The news feels the same way in a bizarre twist.
So I decided to explore this very credible notion of being addicted to the news, and I found this fascinating information in my research:
Physical Reasons for News Addiction:
Dopamine release: The brain's reward system releases dopamine when we encounter novel or exciting information, which is often found in the news. This creates a pleasurable sensation, reinforcing the behavior of seeking out news. Over time, this can lead to a cycle where individuals constantly seek this "information high."
Cortisol spikes: stressful or alarming news triggers the release of cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone. While this is initially meant to prepare us for potential threats, chronic exposure to stress-inducing news can lead to elevated cortisol levels. This can create a feedback loop where individuals feel compelled to check the news to alleviate anxiety, only to encounter more stress-inducing information.
Adrenaline rush: Breaking news and dramatic stories can trigger the release of adrenaline, causing an increased heart rate, heightened alertness, and a surge of energy. This physiological "high" can be addictive, leading people to seek out more dramatic news stories for the rush.
Habituation: Regular news consumption can become a deeply ingrained habit. The brain begins to expect and crave the neurochemical responses associated with news consumption, leading to automatic behavior patterns such as checking news apps or websites at specific times or in specific situations.
Desensitization: Prolonged exposure to intense news can lead to desensitization, where individuals require increasingly dramatic or sensational news to achieve the same emotional response, similar to drug tolerance.
Interesting Facts on News Attraction:
Negativity bias: Humans have an inherent tendency to pay more attention to negative information. This evolutionary trait helped our ancestors survive by staying alert to potential threats. News outlets often capitalize on this bias by emphasizing negative stories, which grab and hold our attention more effectively.
Fear of missing out (FOMO): The anxiety associated with potentially missing important information drives compulsive news checking. Social media and 24/7 news cycles exacerbate this feeling, creating a constant stream of "must-know" information.
Cognitive biases: Confirmation bias leads people to seek out news that confirms their existing beliefs, creating echo chambers. The availability heuristic causes people to overestimate the importance or frequency of events that are easily recalled, often due to recent or dramatic news coverage.
Intermittent reinforcement: The unpredictable nature of news cycles mirrors the psychological principles behind addictive gambling behaviors. The possibility of encountering important or exciting news at any moment keeps people checking compulsively.
Social currency: Being well-informed provides social value in conversations and professional settings. This external motivation encourages continued news consumption to maintain one's status as a knowledgeable individual.
Uncertainty reduction: News consumption can be driven by a desire to reduce uncertainty about the world, providing a sense of control in chaotic times.
To break the habit of excessive news consumption, here are some scientifically supported strategies:
Set specific time limits. Allocate a fixed amount of time each day for news consumption. Research suggests that habit formation takes an average of 66 days, though it can vary from 18 to 254 days depending on the individual and the complexity of the habit.
Practice mindfulness: Being aware of your news consumption patterns can help reduce automatic behaviors. Mindfulness techniques have been shown to aid in breaking addictive habits.
Replace the habit: substitute news watching with a healthier activity. This strategy, known as habit substitution, can be effective in breaking unwanted habits. Turn on a gameshow or comedy.
Use apps or browser extensions. Tools that limit access to news sites can help reduce consumption. Technology-based interventions have shown promise for habit modification.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques: CBT can help identify and change thought patterns that lead to compulsive news watching.
Gradual reduction: Slowly decrease news consumption over time. This approach, often used in addiction treatment, can be less jarring than going "cold turkey."
Improve sleep hygiene: Avoid news before bedtime. Better sleep has been linked to improved willpower and habit control.
Social support: Inform friends and family about your goal. Social support has been shown to significantly improve the success rate of behavior change.
Just think of all the other things you could be doing instead of watching the news or any television show for that matter. It’s nice to zone out every now and then from the world with a good game show, but watching the news doesn’t really help one zone out. Actually, it plugs you into the sorry state of the world.
The moral to this blog is that watching too much news is detrimental to our well-being and is addictive! Furthermore, to go one step further, the news has a major influence on our decisions in elections, community and other areas. Most opinion news stations seem to have an agenda and a political viewpoint. As for me, I am going to start out by limiting my news watching to 30 minutes a day, and take it from there.
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