News Overload and its Relationship to News Avoidance Behavior on Digital Platforms "A Study in the Context of Public Perceptions of the 'News Finds Me' Phenomenon"

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Media-Faculty of Arts - Suhag University

10.21608/jsb.2025.363753.1896

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between news overload and news avoidance behavior within the framework of the emerging "News Finds Me" phenomenon in the digital news consumption landscape. The research was based on Cognitive Load Theory and Relevance Theory, employing a survey methodology applied to a sample of 396 participants.
The findings revealed a fundamental shift in news consumption patterns across digital platforms. Results indicated that news overload negatively impacts users' cognitive and psychological capabilities, compelling them to adopt various forms of news avoidance behaviors. Firstly, incidental avoidance, then selective and then consistent avoidance of content. The study demonstrated that trust in news sources and perceived relevance play pivotal roles in determining such avoidance behavior.
Additionally, the results indicated a heightened public awareness of the "News Finds Me" phenomenon, identified through several indicators that provided an explanatory framework for the phenomenon. These included increasing reliance on social networks and algorithmic recommendations for news acquisition, alongside a decline in active news-seeking behavior. Moreover, the study uncovered a positive correlation between the perception of the "News Finds Me" phenomenon and audience news avoidance.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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