When Health Messages Backfire
When Health Messages Backfire
We’ve all been there, especially during the pandemic. Another headline, another alert, another reminder to wash your hands or wear a mask. Public health messages are essential, but too much repetition can wear us down. Our study set out to understand what happens when people get tired of hearing the same health advice over and over.
What Is Message Fatigue?
What Is Message Fatigue?
Message fatigue happens when people feel burned out, bored, or even annoyed by repeated messages about the same topic. It’s not just emotional exhaustion. Fatigue can actually lead to two types of resistance: actively pushing back against a message or passively tuning it out. During a pandemic, this kind of response can have serious consequences for public health.
How We Collected the Data
How We Collected the Data
We surveyed 744 U.S. adults during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants watched a video featuring a frontline healthcare worker and then answered questions about how they felt, how closely they paid attention, and whether they intended to follow the suggested behaviors. We also asked them to describe, in their own words, what types of COVID-19 information they were tired of hearing about.
What We Found
What We Found
Most participants said they were tired of at least one type of COVID-19 message. The most common? Masking, distancing, and daily stats. Fatigue didn’t just annoy people. It predicted whether they ignored the message, rejected it, or avoided learning more. In short, message fatigue can undermine even well-crafted health campaigns.
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