[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/04\/media-anxiety\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/04\/media-anxiety\/","headline":"Can Media Make Anxiety Get Worse?","name":"Can Media Make Anxiety Get Worse?","description":"Disclaimer: At UPMC HealthBeat, we strive to provide the most up-to-date facts in our stories when we publish them. We also make updates to our content as information changes. However, education about COVID-19 can shift quickly based on new data, emerging variants, or other factors. The information in this story was accurate as of its […]","datePublished":"2020-04-28","dateModified":"2022-06-20","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/behavioral-health-regions","name":"UPMC Western Behavioral Health","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/behavioral-health-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/behavioral-health\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/iStock-913387580-1_Type.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/iStock-913387580-1_Type.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2020\/04\/media-anxiety\/","about":["COVID-19","Health Topics A-Z","Mental Health"],"wordCount":1055,"keywords":["COVID-19"],"articleBody":"Disclaimer: At UPMC HealthBeat, we strive to provide the most up-to-date facts in our stories when we publish them. We also make updates to our content as information changes. However, education about COVID-19 can shift quickly based on new data, emerging variants, or other factors. The information in this story was accurate as of its publish date. We also encourage you to visit other reliable websites for updated information, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and your state and local governments.\u00a0Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States. Nearly 40 million American adults have some type of anxiety disorder, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). One type of illness, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), causes repeated, excessive worries about many different things. People with GAD may find it difficult to control their worry, whether it\u2019s about money, work, family, health, or something else.Life events can cause a spike in anxiety for people with GAD and other disorders, with the global pandemic COVID-19 the latest example.One reason? Information and misinformation. The American Psychological Association\u2019s 2019 \u201cStress in America\u201d report found a link between news consumption and anxiety. Read on to find out how media can affect your mood and tips on how to manage it.How Does the News Affect Stress?With the vast amount of media outlets \u2013 written, broadcast, and online \u2013 there are many different outlets for news. But while that might make it easier to find information, that information may cause stress.According to the 2019 \u201cStress in America\u201d report, 54 percent of people said they want to stay informed, but the news causes them stress. Generation Z and Millennial adults show the greatest link between news and stress, with older adults the lowest.The disease COVID-19 caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has caused millions of illnesses and hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide.During the pandemic, people are consuming media more frequently. A March 2020 global study conducted by Kantar showed a 70 percent increase in Internet browsing and 63 percent increase in TV viewing.\u201cIt\u2019s hard not to see wall-to-wall news coverage of pandemic talk, daily death counts, and infection counts and not feel anxious,\u201d says Robert Hudak, MD, medical director of the OCD Intensive Outpatient Program at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital.Factors like 24\/7 news channels and the wide scope of the Internet may play a factor in that anxiety. \u201cI truly believe that it makes it worse,\u201d Dr. Hudak says. \u201cNow, it\u2019s 24 hours a day. It\u2019s extremely tempting to want to check your phone or check your computer and refresh it to find the latest news and the latest death count and how many cases are reported in the county. Obviously, that\u2019s extremely stressful.\u201dWith COVID-19 specifically, many people have seen their daily routines upended. Because of social distancing recommendations, many people are working from home, and many businesses and schools have shut down. Other people may have lost their jobs or seen their income affected. Those stressors just add to the wall-to-wall coverage and can increase anxiety, Dr. Hudak says.Also, while there\u2019s a lot of information out there, there also is the potential for misinformation. That, too, can cause anxiety.Social Media and StressThe use of social media has increased dramatically during the 21st century. According to the Pew Research Center, about 70 percent of U.S. adults use some form of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). That includes about 90 percent of adults aged 18-29. Overall use has increased for all adult age groups since 2005, Pew Research Center reports.Many people also use social media daily. And like traditional media, people are using social media more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kantar study showed a 61 percent increase in social media use worldwide.Social media has positive effects, giving people the chance to connect with friends and loved ones and the ability to stay informed. But social media also has been linked to increases in stress and anxiety for some people. Misinformation, fear of missing out (FOMO), and attention-seeking behavior \u2013 such as striving for \u201clikes\u201d \u2013 can all lead to greater anxiety. Not everyone will experience greater stress or anxiety because of social media.Groups at risk include:People with anxiety disordersAdolescentsPeople with high-volume social media useHigh emotional connection to social mediaPeople who engage in problematic social media useHow to Manage Anxiety Disorders During COVID-19Stress in general can increase someone\u2019s existing anxiety disorder, Dr. Hudak says. But the COVID-19 pandemic will affect people in different ways.\u201cPeople are individuals,\u201d Dr. Hudak says. \u201cThis certainly can impact some people and not impact others. Some people can tolerate the increase in stress and anxiety without having an exacerbation of their anxiety disorder.\u201dPeople with anxiety disorders should pay attention to stressors to make sure the pandemic isn\u2019t making things worse. There also are many steps people can take to try to manage the stressors that the news can cause:Limit media and social media: Knowing when to turn off the television or close the computer can help limit the amount of anxiety news can cause. The same goes for social media. A 2018 study in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology showed limiting the amount of time spent on social media can help reduce anxiety.Get news from trusted sources: If you do want to seek out information about COVID-19, do so from government or health sources, or from trusted news organizations.Engage in anxiety-reducing activities: If you find the news is causing you stress, find something else to do. That includes interacting with loved ones, exercising, and meditating, among other things.If you do believe your anxiety disorder is getting worse during COVID-19, you can talk to a therapist or someone else you trust.For more information, contact UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital at 412-624-2100.SourcesStress in America 2019. American Psychological Association. Facts and Statistics. Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Social Media and Mental Health. HelpGuide. Melissa G. Hunt, Rachel Marx, Courtney Lipson, Jordyn Young. No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and Depression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. Media Habits and Expectations . COVID-19 Barometer: Consumer Attitudes. Pew Research Society. Social Media Fact Sheet.  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