I'm three weeks in to not watching the news

I was about to go insane, and just quit watching.  I had done a news "fast" a few years ago, but it included time for me to check in for a few minutes per day.    I just stopped cold turkey.  Years ago I didn't have a tv and people would freak out and wonder how I missed the news.  I guess they forgot about the device called the "radio".    My mood was better back then...and now my mood is def better.  My wife even commented on it.

So far, people have been more than happy to share sad an awful stories that I didn't catch, so I'm not totally clueless.  What I have found is that I wasted way more time than I thought with the news and youtube stories about the news and politics.

I just thought I would throw out this experiment.  I have noticed that I am checking this forum way more often than I did when I was watching news stories.  Maybe the internet is like the experiment with rats pushing the lever for random food pellets?

Thanks for listening.  News  to follow.

I haven't watched the news for years.  Very little that affects me, even less that I can do something about.

If it's important, I'll probably find out from a friend.  Or not, and the asteroid will hit me while I'm asleep.

Watch the news? I haven't done that in years, other than big events. NPR during commutes was plenty. That transitioned to listening during breakfast and while prepping dinner during covid. I even had to take a break from that for a few weeks at a time. 

I typically just do a quick Yahoo scan in the morning and roll with it

Placemotorsports said:

I typically just do a quick Yahoo scan in the morning and roll with it

You could probably do better than Yahoo.  I used to use them all the time 20 years ago.  Since then, they've moved away from anything that could be called "news" and firmly embraced the mind-numbing stupidity of celebrity gossip.  Gack!

1988RedT2 said:

Placemotorsports said:

I typically just do a quick Yahoo scan in the morning and roll with it

You could probably do better than Yahoo.  I used to use them all the time 20 years ago.  Since then, they've moved away from anything that could be called "news" and firmly embraced the mind-numbing stupidity of celebrity gossip.  Gack!

True but then where else can I find out where the Mononlith is today?

I always remember the saying "Good news never sold a newspaper".

The stuff they show, in some sense, is meant to get you to trust their coverage so you keep coming back to them. Whether that's through being entertained or sustained in a state of anxiety, they want you coming back.

Switch it off, and you won't be aware or anxious about half the things you used to dwell on.

I dumped Facebook for the same reason. People have just been so berkeleyin toxic lately. It's been rough the last few years. I made a conscious decision that I won't make an emotional investment in anything if it doesn't directly effect me, and I can't directly effect it. Once I focused all my mental energy into my work, family, and home, I realized I have it pretty darn good.

Placemotorsports said:

1988RedT2 said:

Placemotorsports said:

I typically just do a quick Yahoo scan in the morning and roll with it

You could probably do better than Yahoo.  I used to use them all the time 20 years ago.  Since then, they've moved away from anything that could be called "news" and firmly embraced the mind-numbing stupidity of celebrity gossip.  Gack!

True but then where else can I find out where the Mononlith is today?

 

GRM man 

In reply to thedoc :

I need to do this also, I check it out pretty much every day even tho I've slowed down with it ... it still is too much, can't do anything about it anyway and waste a lot of time 

The "Low information diet" can be very valuable.

Same. Zero TV news. I seek out the news via RealClearPolitics about once per day, scan for a ten or so minute period and move on. It's always better. I know just as much as I did before, but I am less angry about it. I find my monolithically minded friends using the same talking points that they inadvertently got from their diet of news, and I giggle.

I haven't watched the TV news in close to 10 years. Most of my news actually comes from GRM and a daily email from The New Paper, which is just a short statement of the highpoints of the day with links but without advertisements. 

Feels good, doesn't it?

I'm on the internet far too much to get zero news. So I search out primary sources. For Covid, scientific journals, Beckers Hospital Review, and doctors/nurses on the ground for anecdotes. For political stuff, CSPAN and congressional records. Leave the news outlets out of it. See a headline for something? Do a google search to find where the "thing" originated, find out what is really going on without spin. 

I make exception for NPR when I'm in the car, which isn't much these days. That is about it for me.

Placemotorsports said:

1988RedT2 said:

Placemotorsports said:

I typically just do a quick Yahoo scan in the morning and roll with it

You could probably do better than Yahoo.  I used to use them all the time 20 years ago.  Since then, they've moved away from anything that could be called "news" and firmly embraced the mind-numbing stupidity of celebrity gossip.  Gack!

True but then where else can I find out where the Mononlith is today?

 

perhaps BAREFOOTSKATER knows.......wink

In reply to ShawnG :

Yes, loving it more than I thought

In reply to tuna55 :

Tuna, I was checking RealClearPolitics as well.  As you guys are talking about facebook, I have been really good/lucky/or dumb with it.  I must leave it on one of my club pages so I don't get alll the toxicity.  Much like on this forum, much is loss in print.  But the toxic atmosphere of today cannot be denied.  I stopped going on jalopnik because of all the junk they throw off on the side of the articles.  I just don't need it.   I am really sad about the state of america these days.  We used to be able to discuss differences and the bias of the media was't so blatant.  As some of you have said, there isn't much I can do about it anyway.  

I need to talk about my interaction with some trans people. They thought I was hilarious.  But that's a whole other thread.  

Placemotorsports said:

1988RedT2 said:

Placemotorsports said:

I typically just do a quick Yahoo scan in the morning and roll with it

You could probably do better than Yahoo.  I used to use them all the time 20 years ago.  Since then, they've moved away from anything that could be called "news" and firmly embraced the mind-numbing stupidity of celebrity gossip.  Gack!

True but then where else can I find out where the Mononlith is today?

 

The algorithm's tend to repeat what you focus on. Kind of embarrassing to hear you focus on celebrity gossip. But then mine focuses on Auto racing so I shouldn't talk 

I watch the morning national news on the weekends only. I like to finish off with CBS Sunday morning for some less offensive news. There is usually a couple of feel good stories or a tear jerker. 

Thats all I take in.

I gave up almost all of it tears and years ago.  When i started living here. I figure if i need to know about something,  one of y'all will tell me or the emergency broadcasting system over the radio. Or a local friend. Otherwise,  berkeley it. 

Facebook has been seeing more and more people being unfollowed and unfriended. Think im in the low double digits of people whos crap i see now, and most are here. Or family. But, sale groups and funny memes are why i go to Facebook anyway. 

Life us a lot better when you focus on where your boots are,  and making that place a better one for the other people in it.

My TV news is solely the PBS Newshour. Even then, only some segments a couple of times per week.  NPR radio as well, but even that was starting to grate on me, so I listen more to my local classical music station when running errands. 

Facebook is like any other tool - what you get out of it depends on how you use it.  There are ways to block political posts if you don't want to see them. Personally, I just block or "un-follow" friends who spend an inordinate amount of their posting harping on political B.S.  Most of my feed is filled with various car, cycling and music groups where much like this forum, any political posts are grounds for a patio burial.

I catch the local every morning for the weather and anything else of immediate impact. I haven't watched national in years, and I refuse to visit most news sites online. My job requires me to be informed of some stuff, but it's rarely anything that the "news" outlets cover anyway. If I hear of something that I feel like I need more info on I usually go to BBC since they have an outside perspective. 

I give FB a cursory check about once a week to make sure none of my friends have come to grief I didn't hear about. I check FB messenger daily since some of my family use it exclusively for comm. 

Anyone else read Wilson's Illuminati book(s)? The news is 99% FNORDS. You're better off without it.

A fast, or very light diet are certainly a good idea.  I think the key for any of it though is not to get emotionally invested. I would suggest the same with sports, but most are simply incapable of that for either.

The only time I watch the news is for the weather, we tend to get pretty crazy weather here in Oklahoma during the spring/summer..........'naders and all that. 

I read the news quite a bit, if it's something I find interesting, I'll read the "same" story from multiple sources to get a real picture of what's going on. Left and right sources, national and international. Although I find a lot now I focus on local news and a lot on how excellent our OKC mayor (David Holt) has been since elected.

Facebook sucks these days. But I haven't figured out a better way to track bands, comedians, venues, tour schedules, etc, all in one place vs having to search everything out individually. As soon as I can do that, I will delete my Facebook. 

But mostly I read news regarding auto racing (Formula 1 mostly), the NBA, and tech news.