Stopped Watching the News and I Feel Better

[steakis4closers]

I was checking the news daily. A part of me liked watching/ reading the news.

However there is always so much outrage associated with it. I prefer a calmer existence haha.

So I started just checking every 2 weeks. Just a few iterations in, when my two weeks came up, I realized I didn't even wanna look anymore. I am happier not reading it but didn't realize that until stopped reading it.

Now I check it once every month or two or three. I'll take 2 hours or so and catch up.

Its better this way for me which surprised me.

 

[TheWizard]

This could turn political rather fast if we don't watch out...

 

[Lorenzo]

I recall traveling in somewhat remote areas before the Internet age and not having a clue what was going on in the world for a week or two at a time until I caught some news. Best time of my life.

 

[Steelpony]

I was checking the news daily. A part of me liked watching/ reading the news.

However there is always so much outrage associated with it. I prefer a calmer existence haha.

So I started just checking every 2 weeks. Just a few iterations in, when my two weeks came up, I realized I didn't even wanna look anymore. I am happier not reading it but didn't realize that until stopped reading it.

Now I check it once every month or two or three. I'll take 2 hours or so and catch up.

Its better this way for me which surprised me.

I’m with you 100%. I still want some connection with the real world though. I do spend up to a half hour at about 6 a.m. each day scanning worldwide headlines with a cup of coffee. That’s it.

 

[ferbm]

IMHO the news stopped being the news over 20 years ago. It's now infotainment, and you are the real product. To see this firsthand, in a non-political way, just take a look at the weather channel and the dramatics they pour into their "on location" reporting. Blue jackets, pelted with rain, leaning into the wind... While in the background the lineman on call is sipping a nice black coffee wondering what all the big deal is about...

 

[Dtail]

We stopped watching the news too. We still have some info hit our laptops, etc, but I do feel better without the constant news.

 

[audreyh1]

No scanning headlines for me! Most are half-formed garbage clickbait. I occasionally look up specific news of interest.

My daily life is the real world.

 

[GenXguy]

I think it's good to stay informed, so I keep up on the news. But I don't watch the 24/7 cable news cycle (or streaming news). I limit to about 20 minutes of DVRed daily television news through the week and a little misc. online news as well. Also, I usually watch the Jimmy Kimmel monologue. lol

 

[Montecfo]

You need a balanced diet of reliable sources. You have to stay up on current events or one day you wake up in a very different place.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I do selective reading of news, only the feel good ones. Anything else does not deserve my eyeballs.

 

[COcheesehead]

You can be informed without watching the news.

 

[robnplunder]

I stopped watching TV, news included. I only watch what I want from online sources. If I overhear a noteworthy event, I search the web to see what happened. I have been doing this since I retired 10 years ago. I kid my golf buddies that I live like a hermit.

Life is too short to follow the news that mostly won't effect my life.

 

[Car-Guy]

I only read or listen to the ~10% of factual news. Sometimes it's hard to pick out but there is usually some truth in what's being reported, regardless of the source.

 

[GrayHare]

I'll watch finance and sports news if it is apolitical. If they mention the name of a president or former president, I'm gone.

 

[steakis4closers]

This is why I

You need a balanced diet of reliable sources. You have to stay up on current events or one day you wake up in a very different place

This is why I check in every few months. To stay current. I am far from politically unactive. I give money, time, ect to my party of choice. I just feel better compartmentalizing it all it seems haha.

 

[steakis4closers]

I do selective reading of news, only the feel good ones. Anything else does not deserve my eyeballs.

Ive never heard this approach before! haha i sort of llike that as well.

 

[audreyh1]

I stopped watching TV, news included. I only watch what I want from online sources. If I overhear a noteworthy event, I search the web to see what happened. I have been doing this since I retired 10 years ago. I kid my golf buddies that I live like a hermit.

Life is too short to follow the news that mostly won't effect my life.

That’s a critical point - most news does not affect you one iota.

It’s also critical to realize that “news” is fashioned to keep you engaged and coming back for more of what they are selling. These are mostly commercial operations making profits on “selling” you their news plus advertising. Of course they try to convince you that you will miss out unless you stay engaged.

 

[FlyingCircus]

We only occasionally watch national network news now, and (at least on ABC and NBC) it's gotten truly obnoxious. 15 minutes of breathless, excited crap scraped from X and Tiktok, or disaster porn, assertively telling you how you should feel about this, mashed up with 13 minutes of pharmaceutical ads and 2 minutes of a feel good story. Closing with the unctious, "we're here for you!".

 

[audreyh1]

You need a balanced diet of reliable sources. You have to stay up on current events or one day you wake up in a very different place.

Never happened to me. Maybe I just didn’t realize it, ha ha.

I’m not going to change “just in case”.

 

[audreyh1]

We only occasionally watch national network news now, and (at least on ABC and NBC) it's gotten truly obnoxious. 15 minutes of breathless, excited crap scraped from X and Tiktok, or disaster porn, assertively telling you how you should feel about this, mashed up with 13 minutes of pharmaceutical ads and 2 minutes of a feel good story. Closing with the unctious, "we're here for you!".

Good description!

 

[Montecfo]

Never happened to me. Maybe I just didn’t realize it, ha ha.

I’m not going to change “just in case”.

Glad that day hasn't happened for you. Hope it doesn't for any of us. But for some it has already. For others it certainly will.

And of course, not trying get you to change anything.

 

[Markola]

I call it “angertainment.”

 

[Qs Laptop]

I agree with the OP. I stopped watching the news 9 or 10 years ago and my attitude is much more pleasant.

If a major event happens I might check out live coverage, but watching the daily news broadcasts? Forget it!

 

[Sarah S]

I cut the cable and got rid of the tv 9 years ago. Did not replace with streaming. I look briefly at a national news site and then a local one in the morning and then I am done. If I happen to be somewhere where the news is on I find it grating and stressful. If something is happening I need to follow I do it by reading updates not watching

 

[OnTheBeach]

I haven't watched the news on TV in years.
I spend about 20 minutes every morning scanning my news Apps: AP News, CNN and Fox. Just to make sure I know what is going on.
Then I listen to CNBC while getting ready for the day.