This term refers to a new epidemic: that of information. Learn how to relate healthily to news and take care of your mental health.
Today’s reality is made up of a dense supply of news, emergencies and different versions of the same news, where some are facts and other simple fake news. This characteristic marks the daily pace of society and causes them to live involved in a constant information network, compromising the mental health of the readers.
The infinite flow of news circulates without rest, exhausting minds and saturating the capacity for understanding and reasoning. The danger, perhaps not obvious but imminent, is that this mental fatigue leads to other situations or pathologies, such as anxiety, stress, migraines and other diseases.
Mental health: what is the infodemic?
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The “infodemic“is a term that refers to the rapid and wide spread of informationboth accurate and imprecise, during a crisis or event that generates great public interest, such as a pandemic, natural disaster, or political crisis.
The concept refers to the overabundance of information, which includes both accurate and useful facts as well as rumors, conspiracy theories and misinformation. This deluge can make it difficult for people to find accurate and reliable information, which can lead to confusion, fear and making poor decisions.
The consequences of this new epidemic for mental health
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Nowadays, people live hyperconnected from the moment they wake up until they go to sleep. The technology It is a mediator in all areas, and above all, to inform you.
Consequently, the mental health can be damaged and attacked by excess information. The main risks of infodemic They may be:
- Anxiety and stress: Overexposure to information, especially that which is alarming or negative, can increase people’s anxiety and stress levels. Constant news about a crisis or problematic situation can generate a state of constant worry.
- Confusion and misinformation: The large amount of information available, which often includes contradictory or inaccurate data, can cause confusion for people. This can lead to a feeling of disorientation and difficulty discerning what information is reliable.
- Feeling of helplessness: The feeling of being overwhelmed by the amount of information and the lack of control over the situation can create a feeling of helplessness in people. This can contribute to feelings of hopelessness and demotivation.
- Increased pre-existing mental health symptoms: For people who already suffer from mental health disorders, such as anxiety or depression, the infodemic can exacerbate their symptoms. Overexposure to negative information can increase distress levels and worsen mental health.
- Impact on behavior: Erroneous or alarming information can influence people’s behavior, leading them to make impulsive or irrational decisions. This may include actions such as panic buying or the spread of rumors and misinformation.
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How to protect yourself?
Given this situation and to take care of the mental healththe World Health Organization (WHO) recommends:
- Evaluate sources.
- Overcome headlines.
- Identify authors.
- Check dates and data.
- Evaluate your own tendencies to rethink your personal vision of each topic.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
