Researchers have found that people with poorer mental health are more prone to browsing negative content online, which further exacerbates their symptoms.

Findings of the study led by University College London (UCL) researchers are published in ‘Nature Human Behaviour’.

The researchers have developed a plug-in tool that adds “content labels” to webpages—similar to nutrition labels on food— designed to help users make healthier and more informed decisions about the content they consume.

These labels emphasise the emotional impact of webpage content, along with its practicality and informativeness.

Co-lead author Professor Tali Sharot (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences, Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology), said:

“Our results show that browsing negatively valanced content not only mirrors a person’s mood but can also actively worsen it. “This creates a feedback loop that can perpetuate mental health challenges over time.”