The Department of Mental Health has indicated concern for people who constantly follow news and social media updates to the point of stressing themselves out, noting that this is particularly the case when many serious developments are taking place.
Dr Warot Chotipittayasunon, a spokesperson for the Department of Mental Health, recommends that people take in an appropriate amount of news and exercise moderation. He also suggested that people perform self-evaluations to determine whether news cycles are starting to affect their daily lives or cause stress and sleep problems.
Additionally, the spokesperson said people who find themselves constantly needing to stay informed on new developments may wish to focus on other activities to relax their minds.
Dr Warot explained that people suffering from Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) can have volatile emotions and experience anxiety when not online. They generally spend more than 6 hours looking at screens each day and obsessively use Facebook, Twitter and other information-related apps.
Dr Warot further noted that people exhibiting such symptoms may want to consult a psychiatrist. (NNT)