News Avoidance and the Death of Boredom

Across the world news avoidance is rising, as audiences increasingly disengage from reporting despite news being more accessible than ever before. Recent research by the Reuters Institute found this trend is more drastic among young people, a concerning finding at a time when democracies are being threatened by populist movements and disinformation campaigns.

As a member of Gen Z it’s clear why this might be happening. In the technological age, we grow up surrounded by an unlimited amount of instant entertainment. The ubiquity of the smartphone, alongside a wealth of streaming services, mean a form of mentally stimulating content is only ever a few clicks away. And this content has been designed to be endlessly addictive, with the potential to capture our attention for hours on end. There is simply no need to ever be bored.

Amongst the political turmoil of the last decade, which has seen an increase in authoritarianism and nationalist rhetoric, there have been frequent references to George Orwell’s 1984, in which technology allows humanity to be instilled with complete loyalty to the ‘party’ in a totalitarian surveillance state. But increasingly, it appears Aldous Huxley’s equally dystopian vision in his 1932 novel, Brave New World, was more prescient. 

In Huxley’s story, the state doesn’t use violence and interrogation to enslave its civilians. It doesn’t need to. Instead, members of society have no interest in the operations of the state, entirely preoccupied by their daily use of the drug “soma” and lavish parties. Soma induces a state of bliss, instantly eradicating any feelings of pain or discomfort, allowing users to live in a state of perpetual happiness. As Lenina Crowne remarks: “why don't you take soma when you have these dreadful ideas of yours. You'd forget all about them. And instead of feeling miserable you'd feel jolly. So jolly.”

Although not inducing euphoria, the similarities with how we often use smartphones and the internet is stark. Bored while waiting in a queue? TikTok’s endless supply of videos can keep you entertained. Feeling uncomfortable at a social gathering? Open up X and you can scroll through memes and hot-takes. Sat at home feeling blue? YouTube can take your mind off things.

So why bring this up? Well, in a moment in which boredom has been eradicated by the smartphone, we’ve become enthralled by an endless supply of media. This is what news organisations are now competing with. In theory, a society addicted to media should provide an opportune moment for news production. Whereas in the past, journalism required audiences to purchase a physical newspaper or magazine and find time to read it, now they can beam notifications at any time of the day straight into the ever-present device lurking in the pockets of almost five billion people.

But perhaps news was never meant to be consumed in such unrelenting fashion. Most agree it is good to have an understanding of goings on elsewhere in the world. Doing so provides perspective on lives other than our own. But we are also relatively powerless to affect events outside of our own social bubbles, explaining the phenomenon of news fatigue and why when conflicts rage, economies falter and the media amplify culture wars, audiences reach their breaking point.

Then there is the issue of screens. Recent surveys have found young people are concerned about screen time, taking steps to cut down on this. As the majority of knowledge work involves looking at a screen and the average person spends four-and-a-half hours on their phone each day, something has to give. And if the choice becomes between sitting down to watch a Netflix series to detach from reality for a brief period, or reading stories about devastation, anger and hopelessness, it is unsurprising news takes the backseat.

So, what is the solution? Well, one avenue involves an increased focus on less frequent, but more in-depth reporting. Slow journalism focuses on quality over quantity, with media outlets such as Tortoise and Delayed Gratification founded upon the principle of focusing on detail and context rather than being the first to break news. Less frequent updates can still educate the public while avoiding the issue of fatigue.

In this case, less is more. Negative stories cannot be avoided in times of turmoil, but when news is consumed less frequently, it is less likely to become overwhelming and with greater depth in reporting, the nuances and background of a story can receive greater attention over the more sensationalist elements. Magazines follow this model, with weekly or monthly production cycles for their print edition meaning detailed analysis takes priority.

The rise of short form video via TikTok, Instagram and X has seen media organisations up their output across these channels. But this is simply contributing to the exhaustion and provides a more extreme example of Neil Postman’s critique of television in his 1984 book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. Postman makes the point that a particular medium can only sustain a certain level of ideas, arguing that television prioritises entertainment over quality of information. Social media and short form content has only amplified this issue. Perhaps, this moment of news avoidance was always inevitable. But as people become more conscious of their smartphone use, an opportunity for print may return, alongside the boom in audio content.

The beauty of a physical newspaper or magazine is its isolation. When sitting down to read it, nothing else competes for your attention. And with podcasts, a commute to work or walk in nature can become an opportunity to learn. It is moments like these that can become rituals people look forward to and associate with getting their news, as opposed to inserted between a stream of TikTok videos.

The smartphone has fundamentally changed our culture, altering the ways we consume information. Media is 24/7 and boredom is dead. And at a time of increasing instability throughout the world, this has created the perfect storm for news avoidance. The answer is less, not more. Let audiences work their way to detailed, novel journalism, rather than overloading them with content. It might take a while yet, but the conditions are there for an eventual return to print alongside continued growth for audio journalism as our understanding of the negative effects of excessive screen and social media use grows.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/Pixabay (Geralt)

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