Study: Your own search for the truth leads to “misinformation”!

A new study published in the journal Nature finds that using online search engines to access greater information about news stories can lead to believing "lower quality sources."

The study cites data from five experiments, conducted between 2019 and 2021, that aim to show “consistent evidence that searching online to assess the truthfulness of fake news articles actually increases the likelihood of believing them.”

Media and digital awareness programs have long called for more research before believing a story is true, but the study shows that may be the wrong approach, Joshua Tucker, one of the authors, told Vice's Motherboard.

One experiment involving about 3,000 Americans showed that people who were “forced” to search online were 19% more likely to believe “false or misleading articles” than articles from “reputable sources.”

“It was striking to us how remarkably consistent this effect was across the many different studies we conducted,” Tucker said.

The study revealed that online searches lead people to “data voids”, which are defined as information spaces that provide corroborating evidence from “low-quality sources”.

The authors said the findings "highlight the need for media literacy programmes", more funding for fact-checkers and search engines, and "to invest in solutions" to the problems highlighted.

Kevin Aslett, from the University of Central Florida, Nathaniel Persily, from Stanford Law School, and four researchers from the Center for Social Media and Politics at New York University (NYU) contributed to the study.

If you feel that you are completely exhausted at work, that you do not get enough vacation, and that your work is starting to affect your health, then you are at risk of experiencing what is called “burnout.”

“Burnout or job exhaustion” is defined as a type of work-related stress that cannot be diagnosed by medical examination, and results in a state of physical or psychological exhaustion, including a feeling of decreased productivity and loss of personal identity, according to the Mayo Clinic website.

As for the World Health Organization, it defined it as “a syndrome resulting from chronic stress in the workplace, characterized by three dimensions: a growing feeling of energy depletion, increasing negative feelings towards work, and a decline in professional capabilities,” and classified it in 2019 as “an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition.” ".

This phenomenon has become widespread throughout the world, to the point that about 22% of workers in the United Kingdom alone (more than 7 million employees) suffer from it, according to a survey conducted by the British magazine “Microbiz” in 2020, which included 1,000 people.

People most affected by job burnout

A study published in 2018 found that women between the ages of 20 and 35, as well as those over 55, are more likely to be affected by job burnout. At a time when the chances of infection decrease to a large extent among men over the age of 55 years.

Spanish researchers also found that those who work more than 40 hours a week are 6 times more likely to suffer from job burnout.

Stages of job burnout

Among the stages of burnout identified by psychologists Herbert Freudenberger and Jill North:

Feeling empty inside and imagining the future as bleak and dark.

Complete focus on work.

Neglecting basic needs such as sleeping, eating, and social interaction.

View hobbies as unimportant.

Intolerance, aggression and sarcasm.

Feeling threatened and stressed.

Looking at others as stupid, lazy, or undisciplined.

Job burnout

In response to a question regarding the stages of burnout, American Mira Rollins, an expert in training and consulting for companies, said, “There are five basic stages of burnout, each stage has its own signs in terms of productivity, creativity, commitment, energy, and optimism,” and they are as follows:

1- Accept responsibility

It is a stage in which a person feels optimistic and productive, before symptoms of stress creep in. It is known as the “honeymoon” stage, where the job often begins with a great deal of enthusiasm, everything related to the job becomes exciting, and all the wheels of creativity start turning to provide the maximum possible in the work. the job. Then this joyful feeling soon subsides, as fatigue sets in.

Research indicates that 30% of employees in all fields begin to feel signs of stress, and then frustration.

2- The emergence of stress

It becomes difficult to start a task, and it takes longer and more time to get things done, due to creeping in feelings of lethargy, nervousness, anxiety, poor concentration, decreased productivity, headache attacks, and decreased sleep quality.

3- Frustration

Many people who were once very enthusiastic about work suddenly feel drained and not even interested in applying for a good position within the workplace. This is due to the transition from nervousness to procrastination and indifference, a feeling of futility of any effort or positive change, constant fatigue and dissatisfaction with others, and a constant desire to ridicule.

Research shows that about 15% of employees across all industries begin to feel burned out.

4- Exhaustion

The person goes beyond cynicism and enters a state of pessimism, lack of self-confidence, doubt about one's own competencies and abilities, neglect of personal needs, increasing obsessions towards others, and a tendency toward social isolation, with persistent headaches.

5- Chronic fatigue

Finally, complete exhaustion occurs, as everything worsens, and depression, sadness, and chronic physical and mental exhaustion overwhelm the affected person.

Recommendations for preventing burnout

The British mental health charity Mind has provided recommendations to reduce the chances of falling into the clutches of chronic fatigue to the point of exhaustion, which are:

Take longer breaks whenever possible.

Spend more time away from your phone and laptop.

Learn to say no when it is necessary.

Moving the body, even for a short distance.

Make sure you do fun activities outside of work, such as socializing and hobbies.

Follow a routine that includes unplugging electronic devices 45 to 60 minutes before bedtime.

Steps to recover from job burnout

“Fatigue is very dangerous, but it is not the end point. Rather, it may be the beginning of a healthier life,” says Dutch psychologist Nine Gramberg, stressing that in the event of fatigue, “recovering from it may take from 3 months to a year,” via 3 steps:

Acknowledgment and acceptance, as the first stages of recovery from fatigue begin with acknowledging its existence and trying to identify how the stress that causes it arose, and the situations, thoughts, and events that contribute to its exacerbation, then accepting to ask for support from people close to you, involving them in the discussion about the results, and taking enough time to rest from the effects. Exhaustion.

Create a daily routine , which includes a list of things that cause stress and bring problems, such as stress at work, clinging to perfection and a strong sense of responsibility, being under great pressure, or being unable to set boundaries. This is to discover what drains energy, and what must be done to restore lost energy and achieve balance, such as eating at specific times, avoiding falling under great pressure, and making sure to get enough relaxation to give the body an opportunity to recharge.

Developing solutions : Recovering from burnout involves coming up with solutions that will put things back on track, by learning to confront problems more quickly, setting boundaries, living according to personal values, and rejecting what cannot be done. Then try to put these solutions into practice, and regain control and balance between work times and those allocated for rest.