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I often hear people say we/they need to watch, read, and listen to the news to stay informed. I can see a case for that but I am curious if it makes a difference in day to day functioning. One could even argue that the news is harmful for various reasons.
It doesn't matter for day-to-day living. Most of the news is boring and doesn't affect my daily life. But once in awhile, there's a big human interest story like a mass shooting or natural disaster and that's when you're glad to have the news to know more.
Some people see the news as daily entertainment. They love to complain about politics and hang onto every word celebrities spew out or love to comment about the current social justice trends.
You will be happier and more functional if you cut 99% oif your news consumption out of your life.
Today's news is designed to manipulate your emotions and your choices. No one is going to be happy with regular, voluntary exposure to such manipulation because they will be less in control of their emotions.
I volunteered at a news based radio station for fourteen years and came home after every shift to find my mother listening to exactly the same stories. I was burnt out, stressed and very short tempered, so I would escape to the family room at the back of our house and lose myself either in music or a favourite TV show. The constant drip feed of political squabbling and endless, worthless opinions was the last thing I wanted to hear, yet it stayed on all day, every day.
Over dinner we would try to have a conversation about each other's days, but there was always a third person (by whom I mean some wanker in a grey suit banging on about the latest terrorist attack or political scandal) in the room making the atmosphere unbearable. Mum, I've been reading aloud about this rubbish all day and trying to be professional, what else do you want me to say? What do I think? I don't really care. When I come back to the home you've made for us, I want to relax. Can we listen to something else please? Put on one of the CDs I burned for you or at least change the station.
She didn't, and I got into the habit of eating so fast I developed reflux that still troubles me today. In the six and a half years since Mum died and I've lived on my own, I haven't read a paper, watched the news or listened to the radio at all. It's all just noise to me, and my knowing or hearing about it makes no difference to whatever the situation is. I get all the current affairs I need through Google or social media, and most of that is ill informed propaganda posted and rehashed by people who have to be seen to have an opinion on every pointless subject no matter how little research they've done. Enough already. I want facts, not constant conjecture, repetition or political spin. Until the media can concentrate on facts and not treat the public like simpletons, I'm switching off.
Please, Mr. Journalist Political Commentator man, tell me the same thing yet AGAIN just in case I haven't grasped how important it isn't the last twenty five times I've heard you. I beg you, come into my home every day and insult my intelligence. It's a joy.
The worst thing? I've heard myself doing it. There are certain inflections and stresses in the 'newsreader voice' that suggest they think the listener is a complete moron. I left my gig after fourteen years because I was beyond tired and no longer wanted to be part of the problem. I do miss the microphone though, and would like to use the skills I picked up for something more positive and enjoyable.
I often hear people say we/they need to watch, read, and listen to the news to stay informed. I can see a case for that but I am curious if it makes a difference in day to day functioning. One could even argue that the news is harmful for various reasons.
It depends on what's being said. Watching the news MIGHT make a difference in what you do currently in different ways...temporarily or long-term/permanently.
I watch because if something's happening out there these days, I'm aware & can be even more observant or on alert about it. For example, when you hear about the latest food recalls, like/want to know, so I won't' buy those foods for a good while. Like right now is a potentially deadly Listeria recall on potatoes, lemons, limes, & oranges. I'd definitely want to know.
ON the other hand, news about sports, I couldn't really care less about.
Now I don't watch the news every day or super religiously, but I like knowing what's going on out there.
Anytime we overindulge/obsess in something we become less functional in other areas of our life, so I don’t see news being much different. You can read or see daily without going down the rabbit hole.
It depends on what's being said. Watching the news MIGHT make a difference in what you do currently in different ways...temporarily or long-term/permanently.
I watch because if something's happening out there these days, I'm aware & can be even more observant or on alert about it. For example, when you hear about the latest food recalls, like/want to know, so I won't' buy those foods for a good while. Like right now is a potentially deadly Listeria recall on potatoes, lemons, limes, & oranges. I'd definitely want to know.
Good point. I guess it's just that you have to sift through a lot junk to get to the important things.
I often hear people say we/they need to watch, read, and listen to the news to stay informed. I can see a case for that but I am curious if it makes a difference in day to day functioning. One could even argue that the news is harmful for various reasons.
I think that as a responsible citizen, it's important to stay informed. However, one can become over-informed by watching the cable news 24/7, reading all the major papers cover to cover, and never turning off MSNBC or Fox, as the case may be. These days especially, too much news can be very over whelming.
You see all these things that make you feel very upset, but there's not a darn thing that you can do about them. You watch the latest school shooting and cry - nothing you can do about that either. The same is true of famine in Rwanda, the on-going awful war in Yemen and much more. If you watch enough political news, you begin to hate your fellow Americans who don't think the way you do. If you watch too much coronavirus news, you become sure you're going to die, etc., etc.
The net effect is that you become depressed and overwhelmed. The world is an awful place and no one seems to care, much less offer up suggestions to make things better. You will feel so much happier about almost everything if you limit your news intake to at most a half hour per day.
When the Oklahoma bombing occurred, I was on my way to work. When they began to report on all those poor children who had been in the daycare center and were killed, I had to pull off to the side of the road because I couldn't see with my eyes full of tears. After that incident, I swore off the news and kept that promise to myself until 9/11 happened. That terrible tragedy got me glued to my TV set all over again.
I need to swear off the news at least until after Christmas. Everything that's going on these days makes me feel shocked and angry. Again, I can do nothing about these things. I already know the candidate I'm voting for, so I don't need to hear the daily insults, the dire predictions made by both sides, nor do I need to know the latest news about the virus. The only thing I need to know about the coronavirus is that they have come up with a safe and effective vaccine. Until then, I'll wear my mask in public.
Meanwhile, Netflix plus some trips to the library for some good escapist fiction are calling to me. For the sake of my sanity, I think I'll listen.
Weather impacts daily. So yes keep that .
Amber alerts, local safety advisory. (Water shut offs, street closings)
Yes keep that.
Worldwide news...pertaining to humanity ? Yes, keep that.
Moderation helps.
Yes I'd be less apt to make an informed decision sometimes if a winter storm hits and I didn't prepare. Since I avoided news....
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