During the summers not too long ago, when politicians were on vacation and schools were closed, news in the UK often featured stories about things like cats in trees and UFOs, because there wasn't much else to report. It was called "silly season" in the UK — of course there was other news, but not the usual daily politics, so there was more time for happier stories. But some may feel like there isn't time for silly season these days. And according to a recent study, thinking about the news is making British people anxious, something that's causing some of them to avoid engaging with it. It also means they're less likely to engage with politics, the study suggests. Researchers spoke to 43 people in the UK who said they never or rarely engage with professionally made news, whether that's on television, in newspapers or online. The research was published in September 2022, but the interviews took place between November 2016 and March 2017, not long after the UK voted to leave the European Union (EU). However, for most, it may not have been leaving the EU that caused them to avoid the news. Many reported feeling anxious or afraid when thinking about news stories featuring crime, war or terrorism. People did think that they should know a little bit about global and national events, but this wasn't always enough to make them follow the news. Many felt they could not understand the country's politics, or that political news was not relevant to them. For politicians themselves, this could be a challenge, suggests the study — trying to communicate with those who avoid the news.