A growing number of people stop following the news, describing it as depressing, cruel and boring, a global survey shows.
Four out of ten people or 39 percent of the world's population try to avoid the news, according to the latest research by the Reuters Institute at Oxford University.
These numbers are significantly higher than in 2017, when 29 percent of people said they try not to follow the media.
The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East may have contributed to the desire to avoid media coverage, say the study's authors.
They also added that bypassing the news is now at a record high level.
YouGov surveyed a total of 94.943 adults from 47 countries in January and February for this year's Dijital njuz riport (Digital News Report).
The data was published in a year in which billions of people around the world went to the polls or were about to go to the polls, such as in France, Great Britain and the United States.
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The report notes that the election has increased interest in news in several countries, including the United States.
However, overall interest is declining, according to the study.
Only 46 percent of people said they were very or extremely interested in the news, down from 63 percent in 2017.
In Great Britain, interest in news has almost halved since 2015.
"The daily news in the media recently has obviously been particularly tiresome.
"We've had pandemics and wars, so it's a completely natural reaction for people to turn their heads away from the news, either to protect their own mental health or because they just want to get on with life," Nick Newman, the study's author, told the BBC.
He added that those who selectively follow the news do so because they feel "powerless".
"They have the impression that they cannot control mass events in the world," he explains.
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One group of people is increasingly overwhelmed and confused by the amount of information coming their way, while others are tired of politics, he says.
According to data from the report, women and young people are more likely to feel exhausted by the large amount of news.
However, trust in the news remains stable.
About 40 percent of people trust the media, four percent less than during the height of the corona virus pandemic, the survey showed.
In Great Britain, trust in the news rose slightly this year to 36 percent, which is still about 15 percent lower than before the 2016 Brexit referendum.
The BBC was most trusted in Great Britain, followed by Channel 4 and ITV.
TikTok beats X
The report found that the audience following traditional news sources, such as television and print, has declined sharply over the past decade, with younger people preferring to get information either through social media.
In Great Britain, almost three-quarters of people (73 percent) said they get information on the Internet, half of them watch television and only 14 percent read the press.
The most important social platform for news is still Facebook, although it is in a long-term decline.
YouTube and Vocap remain important sources of news for many, while exposure to TikTok is on the rise.
TikTok has overtaken X, formerly Twitter.
About 13 percent of people use the app to share news in video form, compared to 10 percent of Iks users.
The role of TikTok in reporting is significantly greater among young people between 18 and 24 years old and is as much as 23 percent.
Following these changes, video is becoming an increasingly important source of online news, especially among younger audiences.
According to the report, short news videos are the most attractive.
"Audiences love videos because they are easy to use and provide a wide range of relevant and interesting content.
"But many traditional media are still entrenched in a text-based culture and are struggling to adapt," says Newman.
The report notes that one of the bright spots is the podcast.
However, they attract a minority of the audience, which is well-educated.
The report also revealed widespread skepticism about how artificial intelligence could be used in reporting, especially for breaking news about wars.
"More trust is given to artificial intelligence for performing simpler tasks such as transcription and translation, but it is doubtful that it can replace journalists," the report says.
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