What would happen if you didn’t read the news today?
What if you didn’t know the BIG THING that’s happening around the world at this moment?
Would you do anything differently? Would your personal values, and the way you take action on them, change?
Of course not.
We watch the news as some sort of “important” entertainment. When really, the news is just another industry that is vying for our attention and money (in advertising dollars).
The news industry’s product is panic, fear, and the novelty of knowing the NEXT THING. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an election, political scandal, natural disaster, or economic meltdown… The product they sell is simply triggering our most basic psychological weaknesses.
That’s not to say you need to bury your head in the sand and be unaware of the world around you. But you can, and should, skip checking the news on a regular basis.
Instead, focus on your life and those around you. Spend time working on problems that are within your realm of control. Do something meaningful instead of concerning yourself with things you can’t change.
Do yourself a favor and skip the news today.
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This post is Day 10 of 21 Days of Simple.
I partially agree, but I have to argue that following the news is very important, especially in this pandemic time. The information we get from media at the moment is crucial to our health and safety, as well as knowing what the restrictions are and so forth. Even in normal times, media is a vital part of how democracy works, and it also educates us. I know you’re not saying we should completely ignore media, but I would disagree slightly, because news, especially local news, is very important. And of course there’s a difference between sensational media and serious media outlets.
I do agree, of course, that we follow things too closely. Celebrity gossip and natural disasters that happen on the other side of the world should not cause stress or worry for us. Anyway, I probably won’t skip the radio news today. But I will try to limit my intake of media content 🙂
It’s my first comment, so I should say I enjoy the blog! I recently started simplifying my life and decided to Google if there was any good blogs around on that topic. Between the first two I found it was clear, from the design and content on the home page, this is the one that knows simplicity 🙂 Keep up the good work!
Best regards from Slovenia
Breza, thank you for your comment. I appreciate your thoughts!
What’s difficult in times like this is distinguishing between news, journalists, entertainment, and public health communications. So much news, including local, has some sort of agenda for not just sharing the “news”, but also increasing viewership.
I’ve found that getting information directly from government agencies has been incredibly helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortcomings aside, many public officials are doing the best they can to keep people informed and their communities healthy.
That said, I certainly don’t want to discount the work of some very talented journalists. There are some great reporters that exist, that risk their lives on a daily basis to help make the world a better place through sharing important information.
You’re right, there’s different sorts of news and there’s different sources. I follow the national public service that we have, which is of highest quality. Not sure whether you’ve got something like that in the States.
So I do believe journalism and media are very important. But, like with everything else, we have to decice how much of our time and mind we’ll dedicate to it.
I haven’t watched the news in the last 3 months and don’t intend to. I found the news wasn’t anything but a bias opinion of either the national or local events. It was of no help to me at all. The news I do receive comes from like minded friends and blogs I choose to read. It’s unfortunate politics rule the media.
I agree, it really is unfortunate that the political machine has taken over the news. Once you see it for what it is, it makes it impossible to watch.
I agree, & it works for us! We gave up cable & tv a long time ago! We travel a lot (til end of February) & realized not being home a lot helps our sanity of the constant barrage on mainstream media with their targeted narrative or propaganda! Now stuck at home we hit the internet for info for an or two a day & thats it! We visited friends recently & stayed for a weekend & went nuts since they had the tv on 24/7, between CNN & local news!
It was all negative garbage, & spread the fear! So go about your life, take precautions but enjoy it! We only have one life to live! Oh & avoid the trolls when voicing your opinions:)
So not TV at all Soc?! That’s a great step that I’d love to take if it wasn’t for my daughter’s love for Daniel Tiger.