Antecedents of News Consumers' Perceived Information Overload and News Consumption Pattern in the USA

Abstract

This exploratory study examines the critical factors associated with news consumers' perception of information overload and news consumption patterns. An online survey was conducted with Qualtrics panels (N = 1001). The demographics and three antecedent factors of perceived information overload were considered including the frequency of news access through multiple media platforms, level of attention to news, and interest in news. Three news consumption patterns were investigated as possible consequences of perceived information overload: news avoidance, selective exposure, and willingness to pay for news. The results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed a meaningful distinction between general and news information overload. Overall, news consumerswho paid more attention to news through newer media/platforms/devices perceived higher levels of information overload, were more willing to pay for the news, and often avoided news or selectively exposed themselves to certain sources of news to manage news information overload.

Does Too Much News on Social Media Discourage News Seeking? Mediating Role of News Efficacy Between Perceived News Overload and News Avoidance on Social Media

“…This study, particularly, conceptualized social media news efficacy as a key element that can explain the link of news overload and news-seeking tactics occurring in social media. Consistent with prior studies (e.g., S. K. Lee, Kim, & Koh, 2016;Song et al, 2017), the current study finds that news overload results in avoidance of news consumption on social media. One plausible reason for this relationship is that the perception of information overload increases fatigue of news consumers (Misra & Stokols, 2012;York, 2013), and this fatigue makes them avoid news intentionally and unintentionally (Van den Bulck, 2006).…”

“…The extensive adoption and use of social media has exposed people to a massive amount of information that may require energy and cognitive processing beyond their capabilities, creating a phenomenon called "social media overload" (Islam et al, 2018; S. K. Lee, Kim, & Koh, 2016;Zhang et al, 2016). Too much information on social media can quickly cross users' cognitive limits in processing news and can make them feel overwhelmed and overloaded (Schmitt et al, 2018;Song et al, 2017).…”

News Repertoires and Political Information Efficacy: Focusing on the Mediating Role of Perceived News Overload

“…In the fast-paced digital environment, people experience an ever greater level of overload (Holton & Chyi, 2012;Ji et al, 2014;Nordenson, 2008;Song et al, 2016;York, 2013). The number of TV channels has increased, and internet sites, social networking sites (SNSs), and blogs are disseminating abundant information (S. K. Lee, Kim, & Koh, 2016). News has become ubiquitous, and consumers participate in not only news consumption via multi-platforms but also news mediation and distribution, which demands continuous processing of news, unconsciously, or consciously (Robinson, 2011).…”

Block, Hide or Follow—Personal News Curation Practices on Social Media

“…One the other hand, high levels of news consumption and news source quantity can also create a need for news-limiting curation. When the amount of available information exceeds the processing capacities of a user, a negative feeling of information overload can occur (Lee, Kim, and Koh 2016). Load adjustment strategies such as limiting the number of news sources can be a way to handle information overload (Song, Jung and Kim 2017).…”

“…Load adjustment strategies such as limiting the number of news sources can be a way to handle information overload (Song, Jung and Kim 2017). Lee, Kim, and Koh (2016) found that the more attention participants paid to news through new media such as social media platforms and smartphones, the more news overload they perceived and, in addition, they found a positive relationship between the level of overload and tendencies of news avoidance or selective exposure. Curating sources out of one's newsfeed could also be a strategy to reduce the amount of news in a feed that is full of sources.…”