Is it just me or are things actually bad at multiple levels these days?

[dvalley]

I don't recall this much doom and gloom ever before but maybe because I never paid much attention to the news before or the news wasn't as easily accessible and tailored by the algorithms. I mean everything from the daily crime, looting and violence reports in the news media, the impending famine and plot to thin the global population theories from the 'preppers', to de-dollarization and 'the new world order' theories to other topics prob forbidden from being discussed here.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvalley I don't recall this much doom and gloom ever before but maybe because I never paid much attention to the news before or the news wasn't as easily accessible and tailored by the algorithms. I mean everything from the daily crime, looting and violence reports in the news media, the impending famine and plot to thin the global population theories from the 'preppers', to de-dollarization and 'the new world order' theories to other topics prob forbidden from being discussed here.

Yeah, this is why I haven't watched televised news for the last 5 years. Like they say, if you don't watch the news, you are uninformed and if you do, you are misinformed.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvalley I never paid much attention to the news before ...

... which kind of suggests an easy solution, doesn't it?

[audreyh1]

I think a lot of things are very difficult right now. I suppose good and bad come in waves.

I do avoid the “breaking” news and the endless repetitive arguments on social media.

[Car-Guy]

IMO, it's worse than the OP's short list but it's a good start.

[Sojourner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvalley I don't recall this much doom and gloom ever before but maybe because I never paid much attention to the news before or the news wasn't as easily accessible and tailored by the algorithms. I mean everything from the daily crime, looting and violence reports in the news media, the impending famine and plot to thin the global population theories from the 'preppers', to de-dollarization and 'the new world order' theories to other topics prob forbidden from being discussed here.

I'm not sure where you're getting your news from, but I would strongly suggest either unplugging from it entirely or switching to a mainstream source that does straightforward news reporting with a global perspective. For example, BBC News.

[Ronstar]

Things are bad, but the news outlets make it sound even worse. And we have easier access to more news than ever before, so that makes it even more worse.

[dvalley]

Well it's kind of like the dr. visits, I've ignored them for most of my life because I didn't want to hear bad news, thought that as long as I feel healthy I don't need to go where sick people go etc. However as I get older for some reason I either have time, wisdom or perhaps a higher inclination towards self-preservation that I'm now taking my dr visits more seriously. Similarly I don't want to miss all the alarm bells of the societal collapse, gotta go buy me a shovel and start digging a 6ft deep hole before the zombies come lol

[Jerry1]

Well there was that thing called the depression that trailed into WWII. That was a pretty bad time. More recent, the late 70’s through the early 80’s were pretty rough. Crime was bad, there was “stagflation”, mortgage interest rates were double digits and so was unemployment.

This moment in our lives may indeed be one of the rougher times, but I take solace in believing it could always be worse, and probably was at some point.

Being a news junkie, I’ve struggled with the idea of turning off the news, but I do try to focus on what matters to me - the weather forecast.

[Which Roger]

Good news doesn't help the ratings, so media outlets are focused on the bad stuff. Don Henley explained this better than I can 40 years ago:



https://genius.com/Don-henley-dirty-laundry-lyrics

[Montecfo]

Well you have every type of media attempting to overstate or understate what is true.

No. Things are not that bad. But the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister ... which kind of suggests an easy solution, doesn't it?

Like dis?

[38Chevy454]

Certainly seems to be more negative than positive in the general news stories. But it could be a lot worse. So just take a break, or put your BS filter on high, and in a while you will feel better. I have strong opinions on what is screwed up, but for most part I am not able to change those things, so it just stays as my opinion in my head.

[steelyman]

I wonder if there was an extended period where people DIDN’T think so much doom and gloom, woe is we.

[Beststash]

I can't remember things being so bad myself. I thought it was bad during the Vietnam era (I didn't want to get drafted) and I thought things were pretty bad in the 70's because jobs were being shed and inflation was high. I just hated the 80's mainly because the music and politics were terrible (I thought). The 90's sucked politically with all of the family values crap. 2000's brought on endless wars and economic collapse.

The world as we know it today compared to 50 years ago is almost unrecognizable in terms of political polarization, music, technology, inequality, social media, 100 degrees in May already and in my case health issues.

I think the world as it presents itself to me seems to be in a funk.

Thank God I drink!

[2HOTinPHX]

Yes I think things have gotten a lot more scary out there and not much we can do about it. Sometimes it seems like the crazies have taken over the world but perhaps it just that they get more exposure with the 7000 TV stations and the Internets and all that algorithm crap helping to direct them to us.

When I need a break I will watch fun heartwarming stuff on youtube....like this..makes me smile everytime.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu3H...e=emb_imp_woyt

[dvalley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Car-Guy IMO, it's worse than the OP's short list but it's a good start.

Oh 100% agree, I have more but as I said there are a few things that are prob not kosher here so I didn't mention them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 Yeah, this is why I haven't watched televised news for the last 5 years. Like they say, if you don't watch the news, you are uninformed and if you do, you are misinformed.

No TV here. I watch a lot of DIY channels (cars, metalworking, woodworking, self reliance etc) and somehow local news and related news is always right there too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 I think a lot of things are very difficult right now. I suppose good and bad come in waves. I do avoid the “breaking” news and the endless repetitive arguments on social media.

I feel bad for the younger generation honestly, I know a few youngsters who are suffering from several mental issues . I feel guilty that they're bombarded with too much (mis)information whereas I grew up in a pre-social media era.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojourner I'm not sure where you're getting your news from, but I would strongly suggest either unplugging from it entirely or switching to a mainstream source that does straightforward news reporting with a global perspective. For example, BBC News.

Like this? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61642217


Seriously, bad news seems to be everywhere.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2HOTinPHX Yes I think things have gotten a lot more scary out there and not much we can do about it. Sometimes it seems like the crazies have taken over the world but perhaps it just that they get more exposure with the 7000 TV stations and the Internets and all that algorithm crap helping to direct them to us. When I need a break I will watch fun heartwarming stuff on youtube....like this..makes me smile everytime..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu3H...e=emb_imp_woyt

Thanks!

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2HOTinPHX Yes I think things have gotten a lot more scary out there and not much we can do about it. Sometimes it seems like the crazies have taken over the world but perhaps it just that they get more exposure with the 7000 TV stations and the Internets and all that algorithm crap helping to direct them to us. When I need a break I will watch fun heartwarming stuff on youtube....like this..makes me smile everytime..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu3H...e=emb_imp_woyt

That was great! Thanks!

[ls99]

Me thinks the bad news is just far mre publicized in the 24/7 news cycle.
Well, there were the good od days.
Fifth Avenue and 51st Street 1913