Impact of TV News on Psycho-Physiological State Depending on Emotional Burnout

In present study we discuss the impact of exposure to negative TV news, examining psychological effects of negative TV news stories based on the viewers’ ability to perceive new information, and influence of emotional burnout as an indicator for that ability. We used the Syndrome of Emotional Burnout Inventory by Boyko and a number of other inventories, aimed to analyze changes in viewers’ mood, state anxiety, internal aggression and aggressiveness in the relationships. Overall 53 healthy volunteers (20 male and 33 female high school students), aged 18 to 23 years old, participated in the study. The most significant impact of negative TV news was found in the group of participants suffering from a large information overload and losing emotional sensitivity. Among the participants without any symptoms of burnout or those with fully formed burnout, we recorded a less significant negative impact of negative TV news stories. As such, emotional burnout in the stage of development leads to personal discomfort and aggravation of perceptional reactions in response to negative TV news.