The effect of mindfulness intervention on internet negative news perception and processing: An implicit and explicit...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Media Studies
• Digital Communication

Background:

• The internet accelerates negative news and emotional spread, increasing public uncertainty, especially post-pandemic.
• Mindfulness interventions positively impact attention, self-regulation, and well-being, mitigating negative emotions.
• This study explores mindfulness's effect on trait mindfulness, emotional regulation, and attitudes within new media contexts.

Discussion:

• Mindfulness training significantly enhances overall trait mindfulness, particularly in describing, acting with awareness, and non-judgment.
• The intervention effectively mitigates the adverse emotional impact of negative information coverage.
• Further research is needed to explore mindfulness's influence on cognitive patterns and attitudes toward controversial topics.

Key Insights:

• Mindfulness training improves key aspects of trait mindfulness, including awareness and non-judgment.
• Participants undergoing mindfulness intervention showed reduced negative emotional responses to distressing news.
• The study validates mindfulness as a tool for managing negative emotional arousal from online content.

Outlook:

• Future studies should investigate mindfulness's long-term effects on cognitive biases and information processing in the digital sphere.
• Integrating mindfulness practices could be crucial for combating infodemic-related issues like judgment bias and information exhaustion.
• This research bridges positive psychology and new media studies, highlighting mindfulness for individual resilience in the information age.