Do you, like many of us, find yourself scrolling through news headlines every hour or so? 

Then you could be doomscrolling and you could be putting your health at risk. 

New research from Texas Tech University suggests that constantly reading bad news can worsen your mental and physical health. 

Researchers conducted a survey comprising 1100 participants and found that 74% were struggling with mental health problems while 61% reported physical health issues. 

“The last couple of years have brought a seemingly constant flow of disconcerting events. A pandemic…Large-scale protests. Mass shootings…witnessing these events unfold in the news might bring about a constant state of high alert…for these individuals, a vicious cycle can develop in which…they become drawn further in, obsessing over the news and checking for updates around the clock to alleviate their emotional distress,” conclude the study’s authors.

The study showed that 16.5% had a “severely problematic” or “high levels of problematic news consumption,” leading to a higher number of mental and physical health issues than others.

So, what can you do to check your news consumption? 

Dr Kate Mannell from Deakin University, Australia, says the important thing is to take “conscious steps to limit [your] news consumption…”

Stay informed, but be aware of when it all gets too much.