Curious by nature, humans have always wanted to know as much as they can about what’s going on in other parts of the world. Today, with various news channels reporting on a minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour basis from every corner of the globe, keeping up with local and international newsworthy events has never been easier.
But, the way in which humans consume the news nowadays has changed, and sitting down to listen to a radio or television broadcast, or reading a printed newspaper, are no longer the only ways to connect with the top news channels in the world. While this may be perceived as a good thing, and a sign of progressive times, it isn’t without its consequences, either.
Why does it matter how we consume news?
Accessing and consuming news has changed most significantly with the onset of popular social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, turning us from passive receivers of the news, into active ones. With the ability to send instant comments to news reporters or communicate with others online, we can react to news stories in ways we never could before, and this may not be a good thing for us.
Take the COVID-19 pandemic for instance: news of this when received through social media, was reported to have had a much more depressive and anxiety inducing effect on us than when we read stories about the pandemic via traditional means, such as in a newspaper or on the television.
Why does it matter where we source news?
With an increasing number of people sourcing the news online rather than via printed means, there are still, however, a significant portion of us who consume the news by watching reports on the television. But wherever we source it, we’re still able to access it around the clock, which may lead to an increase in anxiety related conditions and depression.
Why we’re more drawn to news in times of crisis
Whatever is going in the world, if there’s a crisis being reported that has the ability to affect us wherever we are, we find ourselves somewhat inexplicably drawn towards news sources, even if we don’t necessarily want to know more about it than we already do. Studies have shown that the more news we consume during, or in the wake of, a crisis, the more likely we are to begin developing symptoms associated with PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
For some reason, the urge to learn more about bad news is stronger within many of us than our urge to learn more about a positive news stories, further adding to our own worries and concerns.
What can we do to take control of how we consume the news?
To help you differentiate between the way in which news is reported via the different mediums, it’s important to remember that while facts tend to be focused on by traditional reporting means, social media leans towards tales and rumours that may have barely any resemblance to the truth.
By understanding why how we consume the news affects us, knowing the difference between the way in which it’s often reported, and recognising that as humans, we are generally prone to biases (which make us more likely to believe something that’s reported frequently and not necessarily because it’s true), we can do more to protect ourselves from the negative consequences of too much news, from too many different sources.
And if the truth is important to you – rather than rumour, hearsay and scaremongering – stick to the top international news channels when reading about, or watching the news, which should help you differentiate between fact and fiction, and prevent you from feeling overly anxious or depressed.