The current state of events is not ideal, even this usually cheerful Panda has to admit that. Political uncertainties, the climate crisis, and billionaires not being happy having a billion dollars – these are all pretty valid reasons for stress. In fact, according to new research, 47% of Gen Z and Millennials feel constant worry.
The media we consume plays a big part in that. To put it mildly, reading the news bums us out. In a 2022 global survey by the Reuters Institute, the majority of people said they actively try to avoid the news. In Brazil, for example, 54% of the respondents said they selectively don't watch the news. In the UK, the rate was at 46%.
It's not always just the negativity that puts people off the news. The Reuters Institute also found out that young and less educated people don't watch or read the news because they find it hard to follow and comprehend. "The news media could do much more to simplify language and better explain or contextualise complex stories," they concluded.
You might think that it is all social media's fault. And while that's true to a certain degree (Facebook still was the most popular platform to access news), people consume the news differently in other parts of the world. In the Netherlands, for example, print newspapers are surprisingly popular. In Japan, people still rely on television as their primary source of news.
The same pattern continues "down under", as the majority of Australians say that they are "worn out by the volume of news." In 2019, a whopping 62% said they regularly avoid the news for at least some period of time.
Misinformation is a big reason why folks turn away from the news media. Last year, researchers at the University of Michigan found that Americans from both sides of the political spectrum feel bombarded with information from many different sources and feel that avoiding news is the only way out.
When those who identify as Democrats feel misinformed about the new media, they usually turn to nonpartisan news outlets. When those who identify as Republicans feel like they can't differentiate between what's fact and what's fiction in their news media feed, they use less news media overall, including less conservative news media.
One of the study's authors, assistant professor of communication and media at the University of Michigan Ariel Hasell, said that people's distrust in "the establishment" is one of the main causes. "When we don't trust institutions, we don't have those mental shortcuts to determine whether nonpartisan news outlets are sharing information viewers can trust."
Yet it's unfair to say that people tune the news out only for their own benefit. Those who follow the news religiously might say that it's selfish to be uninformed and to even take pride in it. But experts say that we're choosing to disengage not only because of news fatigue. They think another phenomenon, compassion fatigue, might be at play here.
