Since the pandemic began, the rate of anxiety in the US has tripled and the rate of depression has quadrupled. Now research suggests that the media is part of the problem and that constantly watching and reading news about COVID-19 may be hazardous for your mental health.
Jennifer First, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and J. Brian Houston, an associate professor at the University of Missouri–Columbia, study the psychological effects on people caught up in crisis, violence, and natural disasters. Their survey of more than 1,500 adults in the US showed that those experiencing more media exposure about the COVID-19 pandemic had more stress and depression.
It’s understandable. Stories of death and suffering and images of overwhelmed hospitals and intubated patients can be terrifying. COVID-19 has created an infodemic; members of the public are overwhelmed with more information than they can manage. And much of that information, especially online, includes disturbing rumors, conspiracy theories, and unsubstantiated statements that confuse, mislead, and frighten people. Read the full article on The Conversation. This article was translated into Indonesian.
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