Do you follow political news? A study warns that it can affect your mental health

Some like to follow Present Sports or cardio while some prefer Disconnect In his spare time, he watches series or movies. There are also many who follow Daily political newsto the point of being almost hooked.

The newspaper first thing in the morning, the radio in the car, the TV when we’re at home doing homework or work, and the cell phone is active all day. There are many tracks through which we can receive input Related to the political news of the country or the world.

Looks like this could be something positiveBecause knowing and having information is a good and nourishing thing. However, it could be a file problem For people who follow daily political news.

One study says that following daily political news can Negatively affect people’s mental health and well-being. Dissociation also has its downsides, according to research published by the American Psychological Association in its Scientific Journal Journal of Personality and Social Psychologynamed The Politician is Personal: The Daily Costs of Politics.

“When it comes to politics, there can be a trade-off between feeling good and doing a good job. Shielding yourself from the pressures of politics can help promote well-being, but it also comes at the cost of staying engaged and active in democracy,” the doctor said. Brett Q FordAssociate Professor of Psychology University of Toronto.

Ford and his colleagues wanted to explore Emotional and mental health effects Daily political news and how people use different strategies to manage those negative feelings. Other studies conducted previously focused on important political events.

studying

The researchers began by asking a politically diverse sample of 198 Americans Reply to a series of Questions every night through Two weeks About the political event they thought the most about that day, the emotions they felt in response, how they managed those feelings, their general psychological and physical well-being that day, and how they felt motivated to participate in political action.

In general, the researchers found that thinking about daily political events triggered negative feelings in the participants. Moreover, they were able to determine this even though the survey question did not ask them to think about negative political events.

Participants who experienced more negative feelings related to politics presented a Poor mental and physical health condition on a daily basis. In addition, they were more excited about it act on political issuesLike volunteering or donating to political campaigns.

Strategies to combat it

The survey also asked the participants about different strategies that they could have used Manage your negative feelings. These are such methods spend of news andCognitive reassessment‘, that is, rethinking what they thought about a news event so that it seemed less negative.

By replicating the results of the diary studies, the researchers found that two of the strategies, distraction and cognitive reappraisal, Systematically reduce negative emotions Of the participants, which in turn predicted a Greater luxury. However, it indirectly reduced the likelihood that they would want to do so political actions.

results

In general, the results indicate that Politics has a significant daily impact About the health and well-being of many Americans, according to the authors: “Modern politics, with its everyday controversies, rudeness, and incompetence, places an emotional toll on Americans,” they note. Matthew FienbergCo-author of the study and Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

According to the researchers, that’s him important effectsEspecially for activists who want to engage people in advocating for political causes without harming their mental health.