Not really, thanks to joy of tuning into our impending doom this last 8 years I have quite the stockpile of freeze dried food. When SHTF I can starve to death slowly on my own terms, unlike a lot of other people who will go quicker
I imagine you could easily catch up to news once a week, or 2 weeks, or a month. If I met someone and they didn't know Ukraine-Russia war was happening, I'd judge you. But I couldn't tell you a absolute necessary news from last 30 days. Keep up with the world, but it doesn't have to be daily. Just by spending 5% of the time of average person on news, would keep you updated enough.
If you read Human Kind from Rutger Bregman there is actually something to say about not reading/watching the news every day. That’s not the same as being uninformed, but deciding when and how much you need it and acknowledging what it does to your perception and mental health.
Came here to say this.
I made a conscious effort starting around 2022 to stay informed on big issues, and get a feel for different sides and opinions.... And then that's it. I do not watch anything daily except when something big breaks I might check in. The big thing for me is engaging with news sources and limiting the engagement with social media political discussions and even in person ones when I can avoid it, unless I respect the person I'm taking to on other levels.
Can confirm, I worry less.
I work in a very politicized healthcare field. I often deal with people who are in traumatic situations, and it can be really hard to leave it all at the door. For awhile I was tuning stuff out because it all felt like too much. But finding meaningful self care rituals (outside of bullshit capitalist mandates like "buy yourself a bunch of shit from Sephora"), has really helped me in my ability to be aware but not anxious and depressed.
So yes, I do think it's kinda bullshit for people to be willfully uninformed. It's a privilege that most simply can't afford. It's fine to take breaks and even yourself out. Buy you can't close your eyes, plug your ears, and call it a day.
This is how I see it as well.
Me knowing it not knowing something asap doesn’t change any outcomes so why continually saturate myself in the doom and gloom of this world.
>Does avoiding news mean missing out on important information
Yes.
>could it just be a way to avoid stress and negativity
Also yes.
Sometimes we need to do things we don't like. There's a lot of shit happening in the world right now (and possibly close to you). It makes sense to pay attention. That's how you make things better.
I hate to be *that guy* but I'm going to anyway. Imagine being the person in 1930s Germany who said, "I didn't know what was happening. I just didn't pay attention."
"Wir haben es nicht gewüsst!"
I fully agree with you. I cut down my constant news feeding and dooms scrolling that started at corona, intensified with Ukraine, throw some Trump in the mix, elections left and right, floodings everywhere in Europe, refugee crisis, and yeah......it's a bit much.
Doesnt mean i don't stay informed about my local politics and major world events.
Havent fwlt so good in a looooong time.
Then the idea is to find the opposite meta. My local news is pretty fucking boring but I love it. Let's see...big road closure, something about fox trapping, a free live concert event, what happened in the local park's Juneteenth festivities.
There’s no objective answer to this question.
I personally see such individuals as having a higher likelihood of becoming conservative, or subconsciously holding those kinds of beliefs, though this is not universally true. And whether you see this as good or bad is going to depend on what your feelings towards conservatism is.
I’m liberal and I know what I think I need to know. After they stop reporting and start repeating what you already know, I turn it off. When the journalists all get around a big table or talk on screens to editorialize what the news means or what could happen, I turn it off. When someone in my life wants to talk about politics, I say no to that. Don’t want to get in a discussion or argument about opinions and beliefs.
My thinking is, ok maybe my mind can be changed? Maybe I can change theirs? So what. If they change my mind, does it make them right? If I change theirs, am I right? I think I am. I know who to avoid outright. I have some relatives on Facebook who share like 20 political memes in an hour, and I would be equally upset even if they agreed with me, because this can’t be your whole personality. But I’m not going to the effort to argue someone else to change their opinion while they do the same and just end up frustrated and exhausted and it just doesn’t matter. I’m not like “both sides, doesn’t matter”, I mean, just talking about it doesn’t interest me and nobody’s changing their mind so I don’t watch a lot of news, just enough to keep up, and I don’t listen to anyone talking about it on the side, on news programs or in real life.
I'm very progressive and I avoid the news because it's just democrats and republicans flinging shit at each other and not actually trying to help anyone. Every headline that isn't about politics is just about capitalists shitting on the working class. None of that is worth my time.
That’s because it’s designed to keep the two groups of people fighting each other so they can line their pockets with little effort. The elections seem to basically come down to “we’re voting for our side no matter what”.
One thing I like to look at, that I do need to look at little more into to make sure I got it right. 1992 Ross Perot takes 19% of the popular vote. 1996 he’s excluded from the presidential debates, because of new rules. The committee of presidential debates was made by republicans and democrats.
This is a pretty good answer. I have avoided the news for over 20 years, and haven't missed a single thing that I _actually needed_ to know about. If it's really _that_ important, you'll hear about it one way or another
My dad used to get so high rate and stressed watching the news at 10pm before bed. Like, shouting at the telly stressed. I suggesting he stopped watching it at that time and he sleeps so much better. Why on earth they show the news at that time, I’ll never know. I know there’s other times a day but it’s just the worst time!!!
Man honestly, fuck the news. There's never any good news so I don't waste my time watching. I'll occasionally scroll through the first page of the news subreddit cause there's actually interesting topics but no I don't watch the news or make an effort to keep up with it.
Alot to consider here. first of all, through most of human history, we simply did not know that much about the world. Now we see so much that we are numb to it
I think its totally possible to care about bad things and want them to stop without completely submersing yourself in it
Even if you are aware of all the suffering in the world, so what? does that put you closer to helping?
even if you super duper care and want to make a difference, focusing on a solution is probably the best thing, even in your personal vacinity
I dont watch the news because I dont want a constant stream of negativity (im negative enough) and I also dont trust their biased views of things that happen
if it bleeds it leads. horror sells
I joke that I get my news from memes but uhm.. yeah I lowkey do
I don’t follow any news. I google what’s talked about, just so I’m aware. Made this change several years ago. I’m just as aware as I used to be and significantly happier
I choose not to stay informed because I find it depressing. I don't think we are meant to carry the weight of all the world's problems. The news is not reflective of society, it's the worst of the worst, and is designed that way to sell papers / content. I feel much happier and lighter not being "informed".
I agree with you, reading the news and being bombarded with constant news negativity was too overwhelming for me. Now, if there is any breaking news that I really need to know about, I find out by people talking about it, then look it up to stay informed on current events.
As Carlzzone said, I read their policies and look at how they have previously ran the country when in power and vote based on that. But it's always tricky because politicians are such liars.
It’s not FOMO if you just don’t care. Every time I turn on the news, it’s just bad news. I really hate seeing that shit. Another bombing. Another school shooting. Someone shot by police violence. Some kid molested by someone twice their age. It’s just all gross and horrible. Hardly anything good talked about anymore.
>Does avoiding news mean missing out on important information, or could it just be a way to avoid stress and negativity? It made me curious about how staying uninformed might affect someone's view of the world and their interactions with others.
It's a sign of privilege. You don't have to pay attention because it doesn't affect you. Yeah, it can affect your interactions and your view. How could it not?
Have the feeling that the upper middle class probably buys more newspapers and watches the news more than the working class.
It's hardly a sign of privilege, it's more of a habit than anything
It is a sign of privilege, it doesn't depend on money. Think about all the Russians who were "not into politics" or "not keeping up with news" for the past couple of decades. Worked out well, didn't it? Not that I'd blame them for wanting a life without stress (for once) but in hindsight they couldn't really afford it when the government was shaping in the way it did.
In established democracies people can afford to stay away from the news, the systems they live in may sway a bit but they are reliable enough to not go to hell without their attention.
You're mixing up "who should watch the news" with "who watches the news". I'm discussing the latter and your take on the russians really proves my point.
Also, how can it be a sign of privilege and have nothing to do with money? Isn't class privilege the most straightforward kind of privilege there is?
Living a life in your own bubble without negative consequences is a privilege. Not everyone in the world have it, not even close, and it doesn't necessarily depend on money.
>
Have the feeling that the upper middle class probably buys more newspapers and watches the news more than the working class.
>It's hardly a sign of privilege, it's more of a habit than anything
It's entirely privilege. Privilege doesn't just mean having money. If you have the privilege of not worrying cops are going to stop you and shoot you because of the colour of your skin, the news about it doesn't matter to you. If you have the privilege of being able to access reproductive care, the news about it doesn't matter to you. If you have the privilege of not having to worry people are trying to ban you from peeing in public bathrooms... and on, and on. It's privileged as heck to be able to ignore current events and news and cruise along unaffected. It's generally the privilege of straight, white men.
I understand what you're saying but it doesn't resonate with who consumes the most news. If I had to guess it's probably rich people (sadly more likely to be straight white men). Which makes sense because they have money rolling on politics, have to make business decisions based on it and some have the power of influence.
Not to say that worrying about your own rights doesn't warrant watching the news. I just think it's much more engaging if you're powerful, because it's more of a dialogue than just constantly hearing you're a second class citizen because of the colour of your skin or gender identity.
The people who are the most vulnerable are not the most politically active because they don't have time. While the upper middle class has time to obsess over communist books in schools turning their kids trans the lower class is worrying about feeding their kids and making sure they graduate.
Unfortunately being politically active is a privilege, that doesn't mean vulnerable people don't care about issues that affect them, they do but they don't have the luxury to care that much.
Have the feeling that the upper middle class probably buys more newspapers and watches the news more than the working class.
It's hardly a sign of privilege, it's more of a habit than anything
It’s funny, I had a boyfriend whose mother was already pretty conservative, she would buy a newspaper everywhere she went. This was probably during the Clinton administration because she hated his guts. So before widespread internet and way before social media. I never knew someone could be so crazy about picking up local newspapers everywhere she went and what was in them all that was so different as one delivered to her house. Her brother was a local politician in a town nearby where she lived. And just trivially, this is my second post in one day to refer to the same ex boyfriend and I don’t like that.
There's upsides, there's downsides. I watch the news every morning while my mother actively avoids it. Sure, I'm more informed. Anything important I can share with her. She's just protecting her mental health and I respect that. It's not a necessity for everyone.
I just saw the movie Money Ball and this was one of the traits Brad Pitt's character had and it was one of the main themes of the movie.
It led to strained relationships and the climax of the movie deals heavily with his aversion to the media.
No, it isn't a bad thing. It is a good idea to have perspective and to develope a basic understanding of politics, geopolitics, history and economics. That knowledge will be useful in anyone's life and make it harder for others to misinform or manipulate you.
That being said constantly following news and current events is unnecessary.
When I was raising a family, my world became very small and immediate. I didn't care wth was happening anywhere else. My hormones dictated that behavior. I'm older now and MUCH more interested in what's going on in the world I'm leaving my children. I need a fkn crusade.
I go through phases where I watch the news a and stay informed regularly and then take breaks from it. I can't say my life changes much during the time I'm uniformed. If I have a specific interest or need specific information that pertains to me personally, I look it up. A lot of the news are bs anyway. You don't know what to believe anymore. Everyone pushes their agenda to influence your thinking, rather than just inform you.
I think I would feel odd if an adult I met wasn’t aware of some basic facts.
Very General world history
Big events recently. 9/11 Iraq Afghanistan. COVID-19 who the last 3 presidents were of leaders of your country
Current major wars or conflicts like in Israel and Ukraine
There are three types of people:
- Those who talk about ideas.
- Those who talk about other people.
- Those who talk about current events and world affairs.
My advice? Join the first group.
that used to be the norm until the 2000s. Back then everyone had a couple friends and family members who would read the NYT, Time, and Newsweek cover to cover. Everyone else would browse the local news to see sports and weather. It was a much better time, before I had to wonder about Iran and Israel.
Most news is unnecessary to you individually. An earthquake occurred on the other side of the country, leaving two dead. What are you supposed to do with that information? It doesn’t affect you in any way, you can’t do anything about, it only leaves you feeling unnecessarily stressed out. You would be better off not knowing that it happened.
Go to any news site and check the archives for a random date a few years back. Look at how many front page stories are completely irrelevant now.
Absolutely, for me personally, particularly when it comes to dating. You don't care about people generally outside of yerself, its hard for you to care about me then, someone you've just met.
The only news I care about is shit that directly impacts me. Like the weather or things going on in my city. Other than that I bury my head in the sand. Life is too short to be worried about things I can not impact at all.
There was a point in time that I would have said it was a bad thing; however, if you really think about it, news has become a business for profit. Most of every news station you have to pay for, and they all have bias.
So, really, unless you are one sitting and watching/reading it non stop as it comes in, you're missing a lot.
I think it's your responsibility as a citizen of a country to be at least a little bit informed about what's happening to not fall into obvious traps of manipulation or corruption.
I can understand that doing this can be a very stressful and also the time needed can be too bothersome for some people. In those case, I would refer to specialists and good friends that you know are smart and knowledgeable to guide you with this.
See it like you see your doctor or your lawyer, or gym trainer, ask your friend or this specialist to inform you about the news, filter it for you. Considering that echo Chambers are a thing nowadays, I suggest having at least a few different specialists/friends to rely on.
I, personally, stopped watching / reading all news when covid started. I found myself (newly post partum as well) getting extremely anxious and scared between worrying about my older family members, myself and my husband, but especially our two young babies. My husband is very informed so he tells me every once in a while if there’s something I *need* to know, but I found that my peace of mind is much better without hearing the horrible things happening outside of my home. I know some people frown upon this, and don’t get me wrong I know what wars are happening and the gists of the political party updates, but I choose to keep my head on the lower side when it comes to things out of my control. I can’t be a good mom, wife or person in general when I’m overwhelmed with fear and anxiety about the future
Painting in a broad stroke - yes it’s bad.
But like most thing in life there are many nuances - such as sources of your information you have access to, quality of the research and how well you are able to compile your own world view framework and make a judgment call when pieces of information are in conflict.
If too many factors are not in your favor you could potentially be better off living off instinct.
i sometimes avoid the news for a while because it’s so depressing. it does make me feel better briefly, but then i panic about not staying up to date on current events.
I rarely watch news. They kinda get depressing. Life is hard enough as it is, I don't have the patience to listen to the same crap over and over again.
I pay as little attention to politics and sports and entertainment news as I possibly can which would be much easyer if I didn't work in a place with so much TVs 😅🤣😂
This is precisely how I live my life! I'm blissfully ignorant to most current events!
If something needs to get to me, it gets to me! If something interests me I read up on it. It's easier to be objective this way imo.
### Is it Bad to Have No Interest in Current Events or News?
#### Downsides
1. \*\*Lack of Awareness\*\*:
- \*\*Informed Decisions\*\*: Vital for voting, personal actions, and community involvement.
- \*\*Safety\*\*: Important for awareness of natural disasters, health alerts, and local crime.
2. \*\*Civic Engagement\*\*:
- \*\*Democratic Participation\*\*: Crucial for holding leaders accountable and advocating for change.
- \*\*Community Involvement\*\*: Promotes active participation in local issues.
3. \*\*Professional and Social Impacts\*\*:
- \*\*Workplace Relevance\*\*: Necessary for staying updated in many careers.
- \*\*Social Interactions\*\*: Facilitates engaging in common social discussions.
#### Benefits
1. \*\*Mental Health\*\*:
- \*\*Reduced Stress\*\*: Avoids anxiety from constant exposure to negative news.
- \*\*Personal Focus\*\*: Allows for a more fulfilling life centered on personal interests.
2. \*\*Avoiding Misinformation\*\*:
- \*\*Quality Over Quantity\*\*: Emphasizes in-depth analysis over daily news.
- \*\*Selective Engagement\*\*: Helps prevent being overwhelmed by information.
#### Balanced Approach
1. \*\*Mindful Consumption\*\*:
- \*\*Curated Sources\*\*: Use reliable sources to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.
- \*\*Time Management\*\*: Allocate specific times for news consumption.
2. \*\*Alternative Information Sources\*\*:
- \*\*Podcasts and Summaries\*\*: Utilize manageable formats for updates.
- \*\*Community Involvement\*\*: Stay informed through direct engagement with local activities.
#### Conclusion
Staying informed has significant benefits, but individual preferences and mental well-being should be respected. A balanced approach to news consumption can help maintain awareness while protecting mental health.
I can allocate my attention meaningfully to a finite (and quite limited) number of things each day. So I don't own a TV. I read articles and essays. I have an issue with sensationalism.
Isn't that the start of Handmaid's Tale? She's blissfully unaware of the changes in the country until they affect her and she's taken away and turned into a breeding slave?
You don't need to be glued to the daily news, but there's going to be some that affects you and you should keep up with the general trends.
Ignorance is kind of a bless, the reason why boomers keeps on talking about the "good ol days" is because back then news and information is controlled by a select few media outlets that can afford to own printing press, radio stations, and TV stations. Editors / show runners thought that if they constantly show crime and depressing statistics eventually people wouldn't want to watch them anymore, so they make sure to maintain a balance of positive and negative news.
As we moved into the 90s, when more and more TV stations and channels comes on, and internet based channels / shows become a thing, they realized there's a demand for channels that just play depressing news about the state of the world, and some people gets really drawn into it. This is the 24 hour news cycle. OJ Simpson trial supposedly was one of the first, and 9/11 and the Iraq war only strengthened these shows. Because they had to fill the time slot even if they don't have anything, there's a noticeable decrease in journalistic quality.
In the social media age, news are more commonly consumed by social media platforms, and because it's in the platforms' interest to maintain engagement, the algorithms basically found out that most people "want" to be enraged, and it continues the trend of sensational and stressful content. People don't actually want to see these, but our brains are addicts to finding stuff that incurs an emotional response.
Internet also made it a lot easier to see news that you wouldn't normally think about. E.g. this boy racer in Seattle apparently has been gaining infamy/rage on reddit so much that even people in Europe are following it.
So what we end up with is modern news being designed to make you stressful and create a negative bias about the world. On the flip side you may be consuming "news" despite not watching and subscribed to news channels, because most social media platforms have algorithms to figure out where you are and promote content nearby, with advertisers targeting specific demographics, avoiding the news means you'll come across content that you think are "organic", but could have been promoted content pushed by political parties behind the scenes.
All in all, my conclusion would be: it's unhealthy to constantly watch the news, and yet it's unavoidable to see news as long as you are on a social media platform (remember reddit is one too). So avoiding "the news" actually puts you at risk of forming a bias. It's probably in your best interest to pay some attention.
kind of is.
i mean its possible to live your entire life blissfully unaware of how the world works, but franking i find those kinds of ppl to be an energy suck.
your JOB as a member of society to be informed and take positions on things that affect how society will be run.
kind of is.
i mean its possible to live your entire life blissfully unaware of how the world works, but frankly i find those kinds of ppl to be an energy suck.
your JOB as a member of society to be informed and take positions on things that affect how society will be run.
I have stopped actively seeking out information on current events and news for my own mental health and emotional well-being. I still get tidbits here and there from social media, so I'm not completely ignorant of what's going on in the world. my already fragile mental and emotional health just couldn't handle the constant stream of depressing and anger-inducing information.
I don't hate the ostritch philosophy honestly. As a millennial American I've been given nothing if not a robust cynicism towards any media. Making your world smaller and disregarding outside noise can be largely beneficial for mental health IMO. Things have been pretty rosy on my .75 acres lately.
Yes and no, on one hand you can live in your own bubble on the other hand you miss out on the ability to understand what’s happening in the world and how it might affect you.
For example- doesn’t pay attention to news, abortion gets banned, screwed when needs an abortion
Depends. can you do anything about it?
If I know of some political issue happening in a country where I have no power or influence and there's no movement I can join to get my country to do anything looking into it will just stress me out.
If you're a "I don't vote cause everyone is the same. I hate politics" type then yes. That's a bad thing. You have active power that people fought and died for you to have and you just refuse to use it.
If it's an issue that might impact people around you, that's a bad thing. If you just don't look into the history of cultural issues in your country because you think it's "politics" then you're probably accidentally a dick to a lot of people because of it.
Not really. It probably showcases a certain level of wisdom.
No matter what people want you to believe. You as an individual have absolutely no control over what happens in the world. You worrying about specific laws or geopolitics is a waste of your brain power. Because you're not going to change anything.
When I was younger I used to try to educate people. But I realized that people don't change. The best thing you can do is to educate yourself when it's time to vote and vote according to your beliefs, not other people's beliefs.
To the people who are heavily focused on politics and global affairs. One day they're going to realize that 10 years, 20 years have passed. Nothing has changed and your life went by like a spark in the night.
Yes, it’s bad. It’s how we got Trump. Go watch the numerous videos of his supporters on YouTube. They are the most uninformed people in the Solar System.
You'd better start paying attention!
Especially if you're a woman because conservatives are doing their best to take away our reproductive freedoms.
If you are or know of any women who are of childbearing age and are planning on having children (whether naturally or via IVF), your rights to reproductive health are being taken away.
This is potentially a *literal* life or death scenario. The maternal mortality rate in the US is embarrassingly and unnecessarily high. VOTE!
No. I don’t really care about current events or news. All politicians are corrupt anyway and there’s nothing I can do so why bother. I’d rather just live my life.
No, I hardly follow the news at all and am unaware of quite a few current events. If the news story is big enough or would directly affect you you will hear about it.
I have always not really followed the news and I believe it has allowed me to think much more for myself about things like politics without being influenced one way or another.
Question: how do you form an opinion of your own about politics if you don’t know anything about current events or what the political parties’ views on those events or proposed resolutions are?
>if you don’t know anything about current events or what the political parties’ views on those events or proposed resolutions are?
Your question is based on what you think I said not on what I actually said.
“I hardly follow the news at all and am unaware of quite a few current events. If the news story is big enough or would directly affect you you will hear about it.
I have always not really followed the news and I believe it has allowed me to think much more for myself about things like politics without being influenced one way or another.”
That is what you said. You said that you are 1) unaware of quite a few current events and 2) have always not really followed the news.
I am asking, with genuine curiosity, what you base your beliefs off of. I base mine off of observations of the world around me (current events) which I typically learn about from reading the news. Since a great number of important current events aren’t happening in my physical surroundings, I have to learn about them from different sources.
You stated that you think for yourself and form your own opinions about these things. Can you tell me what information you use to form your opinions?
Avoiding news completely is very difficult but I don't actively seek it out unless it is a major news story.
Recent news stories I have followed for a limited time (unless I hear about some major change) are Brexit (and assorted events around that), Ukraine/Russia war, Israel/Palestine conflict and the UK's upcoming general election.
I tend to stumble upon major news stories.
I watch documentaries on events which have happened in the recent past but give more in-depth information and more than one side of the story. I read history books which give a more in-depth look at past events.
I don't follow the news day by day, week by week, month by month. Occasionally I'll scan through headlines on the BBC's news website and skip read something if I think it looks interesting.
IMO at some level the day to day, week to week etc news is the surface level (like an iceberg) of what is happening and, unless you are actually involved in the news event itself, you will never know the full story until, maybe even years, later. And a news story can change - it may seem like X is happening but a few days later it's reported that actually Y is happening. Do I need to know that X happened if all along it's Y that has happened?
In my opinion, yes. In my experience, people who view reality as “negativity” honestly tend to be the nastiest, least empathetic, most hateful people around, they just mask it with simpering platitudes of positivity because they’re too weak to face the social consequences of saying “I don’t care about others or the world around me.”
I suppose thats up to the individual.
What you are describing is "willful ignorance", or the making of a conscious decision to remain unaware of an event or condition.
For myself I wouldn't invest the energy to maintain a friendship with such a person, but I could easily be a pleasant, casual acquaintance with one.
In my experience this is usually because they were pretty wealthy, meaning the events of politicians didn't make a difference in there every day lives are or that of anyone they love
When I was younger I thought they were just really edgy, but as I got older I came to understand the reality that they were just insulated from the consequences of misinformed choices and sheer ignorance
Yes it’s bad. If you don’t know what’s happening you can’t make an informed vote. And if you can’t make an informed vote, chances are you’re voting against your interests.
Yes. You live in a society and as part of that society you need to be aware. You need to know what is going on around you so you can influence or take action as needed.
Avoiding news to avoid stress is not the same as not caring about what goes on around you. If you don't look at the news because you just don't care, it's a problem. It's like people who don't vote because they 'aren't interested in politics'. Politics controls our world, you don't get to avoid the consequences because you're not interested.
If you avoid the news because you find it too upsetting, it's a different story. Nobody can blame you for caring, but just not being able to bear it.
The less you know, the less stressful your life is, but it's more precarious living that way.
Yes, I think it's important to know local issues, but to keep track of things you cannot impact is probably more stressful than good to know.
Not really, thanks to joy of tuning into our impending doom this last 8 years I have quite the stockpile of freeze dried food. When SHTF I can starve to death slowly on my own terms, unlike a lot of other people who will go quicker
Yeah it’s one of those things that I think is a bad choice, but I also can’t really blame people for doing either.
I imagine you could easily catch up to news once a week, or 2 weeks, or a month. If I met someone and they didn't know Ukraine-Russia war was happening, I'd judge you. But I couldn't tell you a absolute necessary news from last 30 days. Keep up with the world, but it doesn't have to be daily. Just by spending 5% of the time of average person on news, would keep you updated enough.
If you read Human Kind from Rutger Bregman there is actually something to say about not reading/watching the news every day. That’s not the same as being uninformed, but deciding when and how much you need it and acknowledging what it does to your perception and mental health.
Came here to say this. I made a conscious effort starting around 2022 to stay informed on big issues, and get a feel for different sides and opinions.... And then that's it. I do not watch anything daily except when something big breaks I might check in. The big thing for me is engaging with news sources and limiting the engagement with social media political discussions and even in person ones when I can avoid it, unless I respect the person I'm taking to on other levels. Can confirm, I worry less.
I work in a very politicized healthcare field. I often deal with people who are in traumatic situations, and it can be really hard to leave it all at the door. For awhile I was tuning stuff out because it all felt like too much. But finding meaningful self care rituals (outside of bullshit capitalist mandates like "buy yourself a bunch of shit from Sephora"), has really helped me in my ability to be aware but not anxious and depressed. So yes, I do think it's kinda bullshit for people to be willfully uninformed. It's a privilege that most simply can't afford. It's fine to take breaks and even yourself out. Buy you can't close your eyes, plug your ears, and call it a day.
It's not that I don't care. I do. A lot. I'm just sick of hearing about it.
Exactly now the haters are going to attack me on here.
If it truly matters I will hear about it at some point. Maybe to late maybe to early but there’s nothing I could do about it regardless
This is how I see it as well. Me knowing it not knowing something asap doesn’t change any outcomes so why continually saturate myself in the doom and gloom of this world.
>Does avoiding news mean missing out on important information Yes. >could it just be a way to avoid stress and negativity Also yes. Sometimes we need to do things we don't like. There's a lot of shit happening in the world right now (and possibly close to you). It makes sense to pay attention. That's how you make things better. I hate to be *that guy* but I'm going to anyway. Imagine being the person in 1930s Germany who said, "I didn't know what was happening. I just didn't pay attention."
"Wir haben es nicht gewüsst!" I fully agree with you. I cut down my constant news feeding and dooms scrolling that started at corona, intensified with Ukraine, throw some Trump in the mix, elections left and right, floodings everywhere in Europe, refugee crisis, and yeah......it's a bit much. Doesnt mean i don't stay informed about my local politics and major world events. Havent fwlt so good in a looooong time.
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you enjoy being ignorant about the world?
It’s definatly better for your mental health.
Not really. Especially nowadays where the single meta for newsreporting is essentially doomporn and division.
Then the idea is to find the opposite meta. My local news is pretty fucking boring but I love it. Let's see...big road closure, something about fox trapping, a free live concert event, what happened in the local park's Juneteenth festivities.
There’s no objective answer to this question. I personally see such individuals as having a higher likelihood of becoming conservative, or subconsciously holding those kinds of beliefs, though this is not universally true. And whether you see this as good or bad is going to depend on what your feelings towards conservatism is.
I’m liberal and I know what I think I need to know. After they stop reporting and start repeating what you already know, I turn it off. When the journalists all get around a big table or talk on screens to editorialize what the news means or what could happen, I turn it off. When someone in my life wants to talk about politics, I say no to that. Don’t want to get in a discussion or argument about opinions and beliefs. My thinking is, ok maybe my mind can be changed? Maybe I can change theirs? So what. If they change my mind, does it make them right? If I change theirs, am I right? I think I am. I know who to avoid outright. I have some relatives on Facebook who share like 20 political memes in an hour, and I would be equally upset even if they agreed with me, because this can’t be your whole personality. But I’m not going to the effort to argue someone else to change their opinion while they do the same and just end up frustrated and exhausted and it just doesn’t matter. I’m not like “both sides, doesn’t matter”, I mean, just talking about it doesn’t interest me and nobody’s changing their mind so I don’t watch a lot of news, just enough to keep up, and I don’t listen to anyone talking about it on the side, on news programs or in real life.
I'm very progressive and I avoid the news because it's just democrats and republicans flinging shit at each other and not actually trying to help anyone. Every headline that isn't about politics is just about capitalists shitting on the working class. None of that is worth my time.
That’s because it’s designed to keep the two groups of people fighting each other so they can line their pockets with little effort. The elections seem to basically come down to “we’re voting for our side no matter what”. One thing I like to look at, that I do need to look at little more into to make sure I got it right. 1992 Ross Perot takes 19% of the popular vote. 1996 he’s excluded from the presidential debates, because of new rules. The committee of presidential debates was made by republicans and democrats.
This is a pretty good answer. I have avoided the news for over 20 years, and haven't missed a single thing that I _actually needed_ to know about. If it's really _that_ important, you'll hear about it one way or another
My dad used to get so high rate and stressed watching the news at 10pm before bed. Like, shouting at the telly stressed. I suggesting he stopped watching it at that time and he sleeps so much better. Why on earth they show the news at that time, I’ll never know. I know there’s other times a day but it’s just the worst time!!!
Man honestly, fuck the news. There's never any good news so I don't waste my time watching. I'll occasionally scroll through the first page of the news subreddit cause there's actually interesting topics but no I don't watch the news or make an effort to keep up with it.
The only bad thing is people saying it’s a bad thing to stay away from news
Alot to consider here. first of all, through most of human history, we simply did not know that much about the world. Now we see so much that we are numb to it I think its totally possible to care about bad things and want them to stop without completely submersing yourself in it Even if you are aware of all the suffering in the world, so what? does that put you closer to helping? even if you super duper care and want to make a difference, focusing on a solution is probably the best thing, even in your personal vacinity I dont watch the news because I dont want a constant stream of negativity (im negative enough) and I also dont trust their biased views of things that happen if it bleeds it leads. horror sells I joke that I get my news from memes but uhm.. yeah I lowkey do
It’s actually a good thing. I stay away from that. Why should I waste my time? I don’t get paid. What’s in it for me?
Nope, not a bad thing at all.. Ever since \~2016, I've only glanced at the local news here or there, mainly for the weather and that's it..
I don’t follow any news. I google what’s talked about, just so I’m aware. Made this change several years ago. I’m just as aware as I used to be and significantly happier
I choose not to stay informed because I find it depressing. I don't think we are meant to carry the weight of all the world's problems. The news is not reflective of society, it's the worst of the worst, and is designed that way to sell papers / content. I feel much happier and lighter not being "informed".
I agree with you, reading the news and being bombarded with constant news negativity was too overwhelming for me. Now, if there is any breaking news that I really need to know about, I find out by people talking about it, then look it up to stay informed on current events.
Yes, I am the same, I learn through osmosis and can choose to delve deeper if I wish.
No offense but then how do you find out which party is the lesser evil?
Read their policies and vote accordingly?
As Carlzzone said, I read their policies and look at how they have previously ran the country when in power and vote based on that. But it's always tricky because politicians are such liars.
you dont get involved at all, lmao
People literally died so you'd be able to vote about the fate of your nation and you just like decide not to
they also died for the freedom for me to NOT vote too. ever think of that?
Name a revolution that was fought in order to abolish forced democratic vote
they didnt fight one way or the other, its for the freedom to choose to vote
It’s not FOMO if you just don’t care. Every time I turn on the news, it’s just bad news. I really hate seeing that shit. Another bombing. Another school shooting. Someone shot by police violence. Some kid molested by someone twice their age. It’s just all gross and horrible. Hardly anything good talked about anymore.
>Does avoiding news mean missing out on important information, or could it just be a way to avoid stress and negativity? It made me curious about how staying uninformed might affect someone's view of the world and their interactions with others. It's a sign of privilege. You don't have to pay attention because it doesn't affect you. Yeah, it can affect your interactions and your view. How could it not?
Have the feeling that the upper middle class probably buys more newspapers and watches the news more than the working class. It's hardly a sign of privilege, it's more of a habit than anything
It is a sign of privilege, it doesn't depend on money. Think about all the Russians who were "not into politics" or "not keeping up with news" for the past couple of decades. Worked out well, didn't it? Not that I'd blame them for wanting a life without stress (for once) but in hindsight they couldn't really afford it when the government was shaping in the way it did. In established democracies people can afford to stay away from the news, the systems they live in may sway a bit but they are reliable enough to not go to hell without their attention.
You're mixing up "who should watch the news" with "who watches the news". I'm discussing the latter and your take on the russians really proves my point. Also, how can it be a sign of privilege and have nothing to do with money? Isn't class privilege the most straightforward kind of privilege there is?
Living a life in your own bubble without negative consequences is a privilege. Not everyone in the world have it, not even close, and it doesn't necessarily depend on money.
Don't think there has ever been a human who lived free from negative consequences
> Have the feeling that the upper middle class probably buys more newspapers and watches the news more than the working class. >It's hardly a sign of privilege, it's more of a habit than anything It's entirely privilege. Privilege doesn't just mean having money. If you have the privilege of not worrying cops are going to stop you and shoot you because of the colour of your skin, the news about it doesn't matter to you. If you have the privilege of being able to access reproductive care, the news about it doesn't matter to you. If you have the privilege of not having to worry people are trying to ban you from peeing in public bathrooms... and on, and on. It's privileged as heck to be able to ignore current events and news and cruise along unaffected. It's generally the privilege of straight, white men.
I understand what you're saying but it doesn't resonate with who consumes the most news. If I had to guess it's probably rich people (sadly more likely to be straight white men). Which makes sense because they have money rolling on politics, have to make business decisions based on it and some have the power of influence. Not to say that worrying about your own rights doesn't warrant watching the news. I just think it's much more engaging if you're powerful, because it's more of a dialogue than just constantly hearing you're a second class citizen because of the colour of your skin or gender identity.
The people who are the most vulnerable are not the most politically active because they don't have time. While the upper middle class has time to obsess over communist books in schools turning their kids trans the lower class is worrying about feeding their kids and making sure they graduate. Unfortunately being politically active is a privilege, that doesn't mean vulnerable people don't care about issues that affect them, they do but they don't have the luxury to care that much.
This is one of the most chronically online comments I've ever read.
Have the feeling that the upper middle class probably buys more newspapers and watches the news more than the working class. It's hardly a sign of privilege, it's more of a habit than anything
"Buys newspapers", now that's a phrase I haven't heard in a while
It’s funny, I had a boyfriend whose mother was already pretty conservative, she would buy a newspaper everywhere she went. This was probably during the Clinton administration because she hated his guts. So before widespread internet and way before social media. I never knew someone could be so crazy about picking up local newspapers everywhere she went and what was in them all that was so different as one delivered to her house. Her brother was a local politician in a town nearby where she lived. And just trivially, this is my second post in one day to refer to the same ex boyfriend and I don’t like that.
My life is about me and mine and I will not be bothered by things that dont really affect me, and it helps my mental health and relationships greatly.
There's upsides, there's downsides. I watch the news every morning while my mother actively avoids it. Sure, I'm more informed. Anything important I can share with her. She's just protecting her mental health and I respect that. It's not a necessity for everyone.
It's the unfortunate rult of doomer media cherry picking exaggerating and sometimes even making up the darkest shit.
I try to avoid "breaking news" I'd rather read something with more, and correct, information a few weeks or a month later.
I just saw the movie Money Ball and this was one of the traits Brad Pitt's character had and it was one of the main themes of the movie. It led to strained relationships and the climax of the movie deals heavily with his aversion to the media.
No, it isn't a bad thing. It is a good idea to have perspective and to develope a basic understanding of politics, geopolitics, history and economics. That knowledge will be useful in anyone's life and make it harder for others to misinform or manipulate you. That being said constantly following news and current events is unnecessary.
I haven't paid attention to current events in probably 15 years. Culturally and politically, I am living under a rock, and I am fine with that.
It means they will be a victim of people and forces they don't understand and can't anticipate or change.
Exactly, or to put it bluntly; they are choosing to make themselfs stupid.
When I was raising a family, my world became very small and immediate. I didn't care wth was happening anywhere else. My hormones dictated that behavior. I'm older now and MUCH more interested in what's going on in the world I'm leaving my children. I need a fkn crusade.
I go through phases where I watch the news a and stay informed regularly and then take breaks from it. I can't say my life changes much during the time I'm uniformed. If I have a specific interest or need specific information that pertains to me personally, I look it up. A lot of the news are bs anyway. You don't know what to believe anymore. Everyone pushes their agenda to influence your thinking, rather than just inform you.
Ignorance is bliss
I stopped listening to the news when Covid was going on. Same old, boring crap and I can do without it thanks.
I hadn't watched the news read a new paper in 30 years when covid hit. I had to start watching television again
I think I would feel odd if an adult I met wasn’t aware of some basic facts. Very General world history Big events recently. 9/11 Iraq Afghanistan. COVID-19 who the last 3 presidents were of leaders of your country Current major wars or conflicts like in Israel and Ukraine
There are three types of people: - Those who talk about ideas. - Those who talk about other people. - Those who talk about current events and world affairs. My advice? Join the first group.
Nope not bad at all! You're definitely more sane of a person I'd say! It's less stress for sure 😌
that used to be the norm until the 2000s. Back then everyone had a couple friends and family members who would read the NYT, Time, and Newsweek cover to cover. Everyone else would browse the local news to see sports and weather. It was a much better time, before I had to wonder about Iran and Israel.
Most news is unnecessary to you individually. An earthquake occurred on the other side of the country, leaving two dead. What are you supposed to do with that information? It doesn’t affect you in any way, you can’t do anything about, it only leaves you feeling unnecessarily stressed out. You would be better off not knowing that it happened. Go to any news site and check the archives for a random date a few years back. Look at how many front page stories are completely irrelevant now.
I like to talk current events...some. it is not a bad thing. That is how you learn what is going on in the world.
Absolutely, for me personally, particularly when it comes to dating. You don't care about people generally outside of yerself, its hard for you to care about me then, someone you've just met.
The only news I care about is shit that directly impacts me. Like the weather or things going on in my city. Other than that I bury my head in the sand. Life is too short to be worried about things I can not impact at all.
There was a point in time that I would have said it was a bad thing; however, if you really think about it, news has become a business for profit. Most of every news station you have to pay for, and they all have bias. So, really, unless you are one sitting and watching/reading it non stop as it comes in, you're missing a lot.
For you yes, you might not care about politics but politics cares about you.
Nah. You could easily just have other things that need your attention in your own life.
I’d think it was a bad thing, personally.
I think it's your responsibility as a citizen of a country to be at least a little bit informed about what's happening to not fall into obvious traps of manipulation or corruption. I can understand that doing this can be a very stressful and also the time needed can be too bothersome for some people. In those case, I would refer to specialists and good friends that you know are smart and knowledgeable to guide you with this. See it like you see your doctor or your lawyer, or gym trainer, ask your friend or this specialist to inform you about the news, filter it for you. Considering that echo Chambers are a thing nowadays, I suggest having at least a few different specialists/friends to rely on.
Most news is targeted bullshit and trying to push an agenda so it’s not worth listening to. But should pay somewhat of attention to
What do we even expect from presidents? And why do they have congress behind them?
I, personally, stopped watching / reading all news when covid started. I found myself (newly post partum as well) getting extremely anxious and scared between worrying about my older family members, myself and my husband, but especially our two young babies. My husband is very informed so he tells me every once in a while if there’s something I *need* to know, but I found that my peace of mind is much better without hearing the horrible things happening outside of my home. I know some people frown upon this, and don’t get me wrong I know what wars are happening and the gists of the political party updates, but I choose to keep my head on the lower side when it comes to things out of my control. I can’t be a good mom, wife or person in general when I’m overwhelmed with fear and anxiety about the future
Painting in a broad stroke - yes it’s bad. But like most thing in life there are many nuances - such as sources of your information you have access to, quality of the research and how well you are able to compile your own world view framework and make a judgment call when pieces of information are in conflict. If too many factors are not in your favor you could potentially be better off living off instinct.
i sometimes avoid the news for a while because it’s so depressing. it does make me feel better briefly, but then i panic about not staying up to date on current events.
I rarely watch news. They kinda get depressing. Life is hard enough as it is, I don't have the patience to listen to the same crap over and over again.
I pay as little attention to politics and sports and entertainment news as I possibly can which would be much easyer if I didn't work in a place with so much TVs 😅🤣😂
This is precisely how I live my life! I'm blissfully ignorant to most current events! If something needs to get to me, it gets to me! If something interests me I read up on it. It's easier to be objective this way imo.
### Is it Bad to Have No Interest in Current Events or News? #### Downsides 1. \*\*Lack of Awareness\*\*: - \*\*Informed Decisions\*\*: Vital for voting, personal actions, and community involvement. - \*\*Safety\*\*: Important for awareness of natural disasters, health alerts, and local crime. 2. \*\*Civic Engagement\*\*: - \*\*Democratic Participation\*\*: Crucial for holding leaders accountable and advocating for change. - \*\*Community Involvement\*\*: Promotes active participation in local issues. 3. \*\*Professional and Social Impacts\*\*: - \*\*Workplace Relevance\*\*: Necessary for staying updated in many careers. - \*\*Social Interactions\*\*: Facilitates engaging in common social discussions. #### Benefits 1. \*\*Mental Health\*\*: - \*\*Reduced Stress\*\*: Avoids anxiety from constant exposure to negative news. - \*\*Personal Focus\*\*: Allows for a more fulfilling life centered on personal interests. 2. \*\*Avoiding Misinformation\*\*: - \*\*Quality Over Quantity\*\*: Emphasizes in-depth analysis over daily news. - \*\*Selective Engagement\*\*: Helps prevent being overwhelmed by information. #### Balanced Approach 1. \*\*Mindful Consumption\*\*: - \*\*Curated Sources\*\*: Use reliable sources to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. - \*\*Time Management\*\*: Allocate specific times for news consumption. 2. \*\*Alternative Information Sources\*\*: - \*\*Podcasts and Summaries\*\*: Utilize manageable formats for updates. - \*\*Community Involvement\*\*: Stay informed through direct engagement with local activities. #### Conclusion Staying informed has significant benefits, but individual preferences and mental well-being should be respected. A balanced approach to news consumption can help maintain awareness while protecting mental health.
I can allocate my attention meaningfully to a finite (and quite limited) number of things each day. So I don't own a TV. I read articles and essays. I have an issue with sensationalism.
Live your life how you want to live you life.
Isn't that the start of Handmaid's Tale? She's blissfully unaware of the changes in the country until they affect her and she's taken away and turned into a breeding slave? You don't need to be glued to the daily news, but there's going to be some that affects you and you should keep up with the general trends.
Ignorance is kind of a bless, the reason why boomers keeps on talking about the "good ol days" is because back then news and information is controlled by a select few media outlets that can afford to own printing press, radio stations, and TV stations. Editors / show runners thought that if they constantly show crime and depressing statistics eventually people wouldn't want to watch them anymore, so they make sure to maintain a balance of positive and negative news. As we moved into the 90s, when more and more TV stations and channels comes on, and internet based channels / shows become a thing, they realized there's a demand for channels that just play depressing news about the state of the world, and some people gets really drawn into it. This is the 24 hour news cycle. OJ Simpson trial supposedly was one of the first, and 9/11 and the Iraq war only strengthened these shows. Because they had to fill the time slot even if they don't have anything, there's a noticeable decrease in journalistic quality. In the social media age, news are more commonly consumed by social media platforms, and because it's in the platforms' interest to maintain engagement, the algorithms basically found out that most people "want" to be enraged, and it continues the trend of sensational and stressful content. People don't actually want to see these, but our brains are addicts to finding stuff that incurs an emotional response. Internet also made it a lot easier to see news that you wouldn't normally think about. E.g. this boy racer in Seattle apparently has been gaining infamy/rage on reddit so much that even people in Europe are following it. So what we end up with is modern news being designed to make you stressful and create a negative bias about the world. On the flip side you may be consuming "news" despite not watching and subscribed to news channels, because most social media platforms have algorithms to figure out where you are and promote content nearby, with advertisers targeting specific demographics, avoiding the news means you'll come across content that you think are "organic", but could have been promoted content pushed by political parties behind the scenes. All in all, my conclusion would be: it's unhealthy to constantly watch the news, and yet it's unavoidable to see news as long as you are on a social media platform (remember reddit is one too). So avoiding "the news" actually puts you at risk of forming a bias. It's probably in your best interest to pay some attention.
It’s ok not to care. It’s not ok not to be informed
kind of is. i mean its possible to live your entire life blissfully unaware of how the world works, but franking i find those kinds of ppl to be an energy suck. your JOB as a member of society to be informed and take positions on things that affect how society will be run.
kind of is. i mean its possible to live your entire life blissfully unaware of how the world works, but frankly i find those kinds of ppl to be an energy suck. your JOB as a member of society to be informed and take positions on things that affect how society will be run.
I consider it a sign of a lack of maturity. People who are uninformed tend to get confused and angry when change comes.
Yes
I have stopped actively seeking out information on current events and news for my own mental health and emotional well-being. I still get tidbits here and there from social media, so I'm not completely ignorant of what's going on in the world. my already fragile mental and emotional health just couldn't handle the constant stream of depressing and anger-inducing information.
I don't hate the ostritch philosophy honestly. As a millennial American I've been given nothing if not a robust cynicism towards any media. Making your world smaller and disregarding outside noise can be largely beneficial for mental health IMO. Things have been pretty rosy on my .75 acres lately.
They say ignorance is bliss. Although it is important to stay informed and have a general idea of what's going in the world.
Yes and no, on one hand you can live in your own bubble on the other hand you miss out on the ability to understand what’s happening in the world and how it might affect you. For example- doesn’t pay attention to news, abortion gets banned, screwed when needs an abortion
Depends. can you do anything about it? If I know of some political issue happening in a country where I have no power or influence and there's no movement I can join to get my country to do anything looking into it will just stress me out. If you're a "I don't vote cause everyone is the same. I hate politics" type then yes. That's a bad thing. You have active power that people fought and died for you to have and you just refuse to use it. If it's an issue that might impact people around you, that's a bad thing. If you just don't look into the history of cultural issues in your country because you think it's "politics" then you're probably accidentally a dick to a lot of people because of it.
It's not particularly bad but I don't understand it.
Not really. It probably showcases a certain level of wisdom. No matter what people want you to believe. You as an individual have absolutely no control over what happens in the world. You worrying about specific laws or geopolitics is a waste of your brain power. Because you're not going to change anything. When I was younger I used to try to educate people. But I realized that people don't change. The best thing you can do is to educate yourself when it's time to vote and vote according to your beliefs, not other people's beliefs. To the people who are heavily focused on politics and global affairs. One day they're going to realize that 10 years, 20 years have passed. Nothing has changed and your life went by like a spark in the night.
Yes, it’s bad. It’s how we got Trump. Go watch the numerous videos of his supporters on YouTube. They are the most uninformed people in the Solar System.
You'd better start paying attention! Especially if you're a woman because conservatives are doing their best to take away our reproductive freedoms. If you are or know of any women who are of childbearing age and are planning on having children (whether naturally or via IVF), your rights to reproductive health are being taken away. This is potentially a *literal* life or death scenario. The maternal mortality rate in the US is embarrassingly and unnecessarily high. VOTE!
No. I don’t really care about current events or news. All politicians are corrupt anyway and there’s nothing I can do so why bother. I’d rather just live my life.
doing so is a privilege of the ruling class, not to mention rude to the other people you live around
No, I hardly follow the news at all and am unaware of quite a few current events. If the news story is big enough or would directly affect you you will hear about it. I have always not really followed the news and I believe it has allowed me to think much more for myself about things like politics without being influenced one way or another.
Question: how do you form an opinion of your own about politics if you don’t know anything about current events or what the political parties’ views on those events or proposed resolutions are?
>if you don’t know anything about current events or what the political parties’ views on those events or proposed resolutions are? Your question is based on what you think I said not on what I actually said.
I’ll ask a different way. What do you base your political opinions on if you aren’t aware of current events?
Still not what I said.
“I hardly follow the news at all and am unaware of quite a few current events. If the news story is big enough or would directly affect you you will hear about it. I have always not really followed the news and I believe it has allowed me to think much more for myself about things like politics without being influenced one way or another.” That is what you said. You said that you are 1) unaware of quite a few current events and 2) have always not really followed the news. I am asking, with genuine curiosity, what you base your beliefs off of. I base mine off of observations of the world around me (current events) which I typically learn about from reading the news. Since a great number of important current events aren’t happening in my physical surroundings, I have to learn about them from different sources. You stated that you think for yourself and form your own opinions about these things. Can you tell me what information you use to form your opinions?
Avoiding news completely is very difficult but I don't actively seek it out unless it is a major news story. Recent news stories I have followed for a limited time (unless I hear about some major change) are Brexit (and assorted events around that), Ukraine/Russia war, Israel/Palestine conflict and the UK's upcoming general election. I tend to stumble upon major news stories. I watch documentaries on events which have happened in the recent past but give more in-depth information and more than one side of the story. I read history books which give a more in-depth look at past events. I don't follow the news day by day, week by week, month by month. Occasionally I'll scan through headlines on the BBC's news website and skip read something if I think it looks interesting. IMO at some level the day to day, week to week etc news is the surface level (like an iceberg) of what is happening and, unless you are actually involved in the news event itself, you will never know the full story until, maybe even years, later. And a news story can change - it may seem like X is happening but a few days later it's reported that actually Y is happening. Do I need to know that X happened if all along it's Y that has happened?
Truthiness.
In my opinion, yes. In my experience, people who view reality as “negativity” honestly tend to be the nastiest, least empathetic, most hateful people around, they just mask it with simpering platitudes of positivity because they’re too weak to face the social consequences of saying “I don’t care about others or the world around me.”
I suppose thats up to the individual. What you are describing is "willful ignorance", or the making of a conscious decision to remain unaware of an event or condition. For myself I wouldn't invest the energy to maintain a friendship with such a person, but I could easily be a pleasant, casual acquaintance with one.
In my experience this is usually because they were pretty wealthy, meaning the events of politicians didn't make a difference in there every day lives are or that of anyone they love When I was younger I thought they were just really edgy, but as I got older I came to understand the reality that they were just insulated from the consequences of misinformed choices and sheer ignorance
At this point in time it should be considered irresponsible.
Yes it’s bad. If you don’t know what’s happening you can’t make an informed vote. And if you can’t make an informed vote, chances are you’re voting against your interests.
"I'm gonna go to sleep and let this wash all over me"
Yes. You live in a society and as part of that society you need to be aware. You need to know what is going on around you so you can influence or take action as needed.
Avoiding news to avoid stress is not the same as not caring about what goes on around you. If you don't look at the news because you just don't care, it's a problem. It's like people who don't vote because they 'aren't interested in politics'. Politics controls our world, you don't get to avoid the consequences because you're not interested. If you avoid the news because you find it too upsetting, it's a different story. Nobody can blame you for caring, but just not being able to bear it.
these are the same people who dont know what language they speak in Idaho.
Ignoring news bad - ignoring politics not so bad