Growing number of people turn away from news

Across the world, a growing number of people are deliberately avoiding the news. The share of such individuals has reached a record 40 percent among respondents today, compared to just 29 percent in 2017. The findings come from a study conducted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford.

Most survey participants explained their decision to avoid news by pointing to its negative impact on their mood, exhaustion from the constant flow of information, excessive focus on wars and disasters, and a sense of helplessness stemming from the inability to influence events.

One of the respondents, Mardette Barr, said she stopped reading news eight years ago, which helped her lose the constant feeling of anxiety and improve her sleep. Another, Briton Julian Barrett, deliberately distanced himself from the news space during the pandemic. He deleted all media apps and even created a group on Reddit to discuss both the advantages and drawbacks of avoiding news.

"Nevertheless, not all users are ready to take such a drastic step. Some limit themselves to only browsing headlines, while others subscribe to carefully selected media outlets and read general updates just once a week", the report noted.

According to the study’s co-authors, who also wrote the book "Avoiding the News", this trend is most common among young people, women, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The level of news avoidance also varies by country: in the United Kingdom, 46 percent of respondents avoid the news, compared to 42 percent in the United States.

“We live in a world where people can read the news 24/7 and immerse themselves in information at any time. But that does not mean you are obligated to do so”, Benjamin Toff, the director of the center for journalism at the University of Minnesota, said.