What is Media Fatigue?
Is reading the news stressing you out? Chances are, you’re experiencing a little (or a lot) of something called media fatigue. Media fatigue describes the psychological exhaustion caused by overconsumption of information media, and in particular news media and social media. The way we consume media has a massive impact our health, our relationships, and the world we share. If your brain is feeling broken, this could be why.
What causes media fatigue?
Where is media/information/social media fatigue coming from? Reach a hand into your pocket or your handbag, or consider the device you’re reading this article on right now. 98% of Americans have a cell phone of some kind, and 91% own a smartphone. What this means is that the majority of people in the U.S. are connected not just to one another, but also to the internet 24/7. Unlike days of old, where word of mouth, print newspapers, or even the early internet reigned supreme, we’re carrying around our primary sources of information on our person at all times. Various studies estimate the total of U.S. adults using any kind of social media is well over 70%. Said media brings with it the 24 hour news cycle, influencing, social media advertising, political messaging, paid subscriptions, independent and for-profit media, news notifications, etc. etc. etc. Not to mention that companies and individuals profit off of delivering media, as well as shaping what we think about it and how we respond to it. Information is power. Just thinking about media fatigue is giving me media fatigue! At this rate, we are spending years of our lives online. Who wouldn’t be exhausted?
Why does media fatigue matter?
The real question isn’t why media fatigue matters, but how could it possibly not matter? A plethora of studies link overconsumption of media to physical and psychological exhaustion, depression, anxiety, emotional distress, isolation, difficulty focusing and concentrating, difficulty communicating interpersonally, executive function, self-confidence and self-esteem, impulse control, cognitive function… the list goes on and on. And it’s more than an individual issue. Social media and news fatigue has serious consequences for media literacy. With infinite information available, how can one person figure out what (or who) to believe? Consuming mass amounts of media is causing cognitive overload. It’s destructive for our individual and collective critical thinking skills. It amplifies the dissemination of and belief in misinformation. And sometimes causes us to avoid consumption of news media entirely. The end result? Our exhaustion with media consumption isn’t just damaging our media literacy, it’s also preventing us from accessing and understand the information that’s important for us to know.
What can I do?
The tricky thing about addressing media fatigue is that the consumption of media is not inherently bad. We consume news in order to understand what is happening in our communities and our world. We go on social media to stay connected to the people we love. We use the internet to express ourselves creatively, learn new skills and hobbies, and do better work at our jobs. Much as it may tire us, we want information and we need it. While there’s no cure for media fatigue, there are certainly steps you can take to reduce and refine the media that you consume…
1. Limit your screen time. Set screen time limits. Block websites or delete apps that you’re struggling to stay off of. We’ve all opened our phones to do one thing, gotten distracted, and ended up scrolling and reading/doing something entirely unrelated. Social media is habit forming. Reducing your passive consumption can really help. In more positive terms: If you’re going to scroll, scroll with a purpose.
2. Thwart persuasive design. Turn! Off! Unnecessary! Notifications! Put your phone on mute. Turn off “banners”/pop up notifications. Activate “Do Not Disturb.” You don’t need to know everything that’s happening online (or even in the world) the exact second that it’s happening. Practice staying off social media when you’re doing focused tasks. The “just checking my phone” to “scrolling for 45 minutes” pipeline is real, and notifications are designed to keep your focus off your life and on your phone. Turn ‘em off!
3. Curate! Your! Media! Are you struggling to parse through all the information that’s available to you? Start by cutting off misinformation from its source. Follow or actively seek out reputable sources for news. If you can’t entirely control what you’re seeing, make an effort to fact check it. (Whether it’s true or not, your brain is going to remember it, so catch it quick!) Be a critical and mindful consumer of media. The same thing applies to your social media. What you see impacts how you feel. If what you are reading/seeing neither informs you nor facilitates connection nor brings you joy, hit unfollow. If it’s actively harming you, block it. Control your feed so it doesn’t control you.
4. Go outside. Take a nap. Hang out with a friend. Cook. Read (a book). Listen to music. Do literally anything other than consuming news media. Just for a little bit. If your brain is feeling tired, listen and give your brain a break!