The latest research shows that an increasing number of people are avoiding following the news, describing it as depressing, relentless, and boring, according to a global study published by the BBC.
Almost four in ten (39%) individuals worldwide reported actively avoiding the news sometimes or often, compared to 29% in 2017, according to a report from the University of Oxford.
The report authors noted that conflicts such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East have contributed to people’s desire to avoid news, while elections have increased interest in news in several countries, including the United States.
However, the overall trend remains firmly declining. Globally, 46% of people said they are very or extremely interested in the news – a drop from 63% in 2017.
In the UK, interest in news has almost halved since 2015.
“You’ve had a pandemic and wars, so it’s a pretty natural reaction for people to turn away from the news, either to protect their mental health or simply because they don’t want to disrupt their daily routines,” said Nik Newman, the lead author of the report, speaking to the BBC.
According to him, those who choose to selectively avoid the news often do so because they feel “powerless.”
“Some people feel increasingly burdened and confused by the amount of news around them, while others are tired of politics,” Newman added.
Trust in the news remained at 40%, but it is still 4% lower overall than it was at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, the survey revealed.
The report found that the audience for traditional news sources such as TV and print has sharply declined over the past decade, with younger people preferring to get news online or via social media. In the UK, nearly three-quarters of people (73%) said they get news online, compared to 50% for TV and only 14% for print.
Facebook remains the most important social media platform for news, although it is in long-term decline, while TikTok is rising and has now surpassed Twitter.
Connected to these changes, video is becoming an increasingly important source of online news, especially among younger age groups. According to the report, short video news clips are particularly appealing.