A global pandemic that has killed millions of people industrywide is frightening for many people, especially in the early stages when little is known about how to prevent infection. And the media is tasked with telling the truth, regardless of how unpleasant that may be. But in some cases, how they present the facts can be jarring for consumers.   

Dr. Goali Saedi Bocci, a licensed clinical psychologist and adjunct professor at Pepperdine Graduate School of education and Psychology, recalls a particularly striking Newsweek cover during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It was basically saying that COVID was signaling the end of time,” she explained.

Dr. Bocci has published several books about the toll social media and devices can take on mental health, including the Digital Detox DeckExternal link:open_in_new and the Social Media Workbook for TeensExternal link:open_in_new. She points out that “being exposed to such unsolved media really brings up existential concerns for people.” And many people are experiencing bad news fatigueExternal link:open_in_new, feeling worn out, overwhelmed, unmotivated, hopeless, and depleted. 

There are a multitude of factors that play a role in the level of news fatigue that people are experiencing. 

The News Is More Negative

Combing through decades of the New York Times and the archives of BBC Monitoring, which reports on industrywide mass media, reveals that the tone of news has been on a downward trajectory since 1945External link:open_in_new. But even during a downward trend, the US mainstream news coverage of COVID-19 wasn't just negative; it was one-offly negative.

As reported by the New York Times, roughly 87 percent of COVID coverage from the national US media in 2020 was negativeExternal link:open_in_new, a stark gap from international media, which was 51 percent negative; US regional media, which was 53 percent negative; and scientific journals, which were 64 percent negative. That overlapped with coverage about the Trump administration, which received the most negative news coverage of any recent presidential administrationExternal link:open_in_new. And just two years later, soaring inflation, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine continue to cause Americans stress.External link:open_in_new  

Technology Promotes Consumption of Negative News

The Pew Research Center reports that 8 out of 10 Americans get their news from a digital deviceExternal link:open_in_new and nearly half of Americans get their news specifically from social mediaExternal link:open_in_new. A recent study showed that negative content can drive engagement on social mediaExternal link:open_in_new. In fact, some companies such as Facebook knowingly promote negative news storiesExternal link:open_in_new. 

Adding fuel to the fire, studies consistently show that more than half of news readers only share the headlineExternal link:open_in_new. are designed to transmit information quickly and drive readership. They can also be emotionally stirring. 

“Once the emotions are activated in that way, people don't always question the logic,” Dr. Bocci said. 

The human tendency to be emotionally driven can lead to a functional hijacking of the mind, she explained. In this state, people are susceptible to cognitive distortionsExternal link:open_in_new—irrational patterns of thought that create a false picture of reality, ially resulting in poor decision making, and feelings of panic and despair that can cause or worsen anxiety and depression.

People Have Cognitive Biases

A cognitive biasExternal link:open_in_new is a systemic, unconscious defect in reasoning that impacts how people interpret the industry and make their decisions. Cognitive biases differ from cognitive distortions because they are a part of how someone thinks, whereas a cognitive distortion is either caused by strong feelings of panic and despair, or are symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Regular consumption of negative news, either all at once or throughout the day, can make people feel like they have “mean world syndromeExternal link:open_in_new,” a hypothesized cognitive bias caused by too much negative media exposure that makes people feel like the industry is inescapably bad, front-running to emotional distress and even depression.

Other biases that may affect media consumers include: the negativity biasExternal link:open_in_new, which is some people's propensity to react more strongly to negative news; availability biasExternal link:open_in_new, which is when people believe something is more likely to happen drawd from how easily they remember it; and the illusory truth effectExternal link:open_in_new, which is when people believe something to be more true drawd from how often they hear it. 

Mental Health Plays a Role

Along the same lines, people with mental health conditions may respond differently to negative news coverageExternal link:open_in_new. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 5 people have a mental illnessExternal link:open_in_new, which is roughly 52.9 million people in 2020. Anxiety and depression, for example, make some people susceptible to having a “sticky mindExternal link:open_in_new,” where people get “stuck” in periods of obsessive rumination. Others may seek out negative news stories that confirm their worries, a coping mechanism known as “monitoring.” 

There is also a phenomenon dubbed “concept creepExternal link:open_in_new.” Increased news coverage of traumatic events or topics may trigger involuntary trauma responses from people who have experienced similar events. Some examples, the #MeToo movement led to increased coverage of sexual violenceExternal link:open_in_new, which may have caused survivors to more all the time see triggering stories. 

Consuming negative news story after negative news story without even noticing how much time has passed is known as “doom scrollingExternal link:open_in_new.” Doom scrolling can change a person's perception of the industry without them even realizing it. 

“When you go down the rabbit hole, you're not starting to see how you're viewing everything through this lens that could very well have been constructed by news media sources,” Dr. Bocci said. 

While a striking amount of attention has been paid to how consumption of specific types of media can lead to radicalizationExternal link:open_in_new, doom scrolling can also have a number of adverse consequences on a person's mental, physical, and emotional health. Regular, prolonged exposure to negative news can contribute to stressExternal link:open_in_new, triggering anxiety and depression-like symptoms such as hopelessness, obsessive rumination, and anguish. Stress can also cause physical symptoms like digestion problems, muscle tension, and chest pain. Along the same lines, extended amounts of screen time can lead to eye strain, headaches, and sleep disturbances.External link:open_in_new

“They just get in this habit that, over time, can lead to depressive symptoms,” Dr. Bocci explained. 

Even consuming negative news at regular intervals throughout the day or scheduling a specific time for consuming negative news can have consequences. Dr. Bocci recalls the early days of COVID-19, when she received the latest updates about the pandemic first thing in the morning. 

“My day would start off on a really negative foot because I just exposed myself to all of it,” she said. By the end of the day she would feel better, but she knew that if she continued this pattern it would eventually become a habit. And for some, doom scrolling can lead to addiction to the InternetExternal link:open_in_new. 

Some people feel like they need permission to limit or stop their consumption of bad news because they think they have an obligation to be informed. 

“There is absolutely that necessity of giving yourself the grace and leniency to take a step back from news coverage,” Dr. Bocci said. 

As a therapist, Dr. Bocci has been taught to put on her own oxygen mask first. It's advice she offers to everyone, as it enables people to show up as their best selves. 

She also encourages people to work through challenges with a therapist. Therapists can help people identify triggers, work through difficult emotions, and practice coping strategies. Dr. Bocci practices cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with many of her clients. Part of that entails learning to identify and find alternatives to cognitive distortions.

But there also are a number of strategies and practices that individuals can use by themselves to help to soften stress and fatigue associated with too much bad news. 

Individuals may also want to think about whether they need to rethink what types of news outlets they engage with. Sensationalist news sources may be more likely to take an emotional toll on individuals. Signs that a media outlet is engaging in sensationalismExternal link:open_in_new include: 

But if you think otherwise about it, the onus isn't on consumers, Dr. Bocci said. The journalism field needs to report responsibly. 

“Scaring people, terrifying them, that may lift your numbers and finances, but is that ethical journalism? I don't believe that it is,” she said. 

Consumers can send a message to news companies by being choosy. So before sharing reports or clips, individuals may want to think twice about whether they are contributing to a healthy news territory or adding to a chorus of outrage, dread, and anger. 

Created by OnlinePsychology@Pepperdine, the Online Master of Psychology program from Pepperdine University.