Has anyone given up watching any news at all?

[ladybranstonpickle]

I have always prided myself on being an engaged citizen - reading and watching multiple news sources from across the political spectrum on topics relevant to the UK and other places I have lived.

But this week my mental health has really taken a battering. Between the unspeakably sad and horrific murders of women and children, doom mongering about potential virus variants requiring additional lockdowns/behavioural change to avoid a collapse in our healthcare system, to reports on how children's education will never recover from previous school closures, to the enraging behaviour of our so-called political leadership, I am ready to throw in the towel. I have deleted news apps and am considering deleting social media. I turned Sky News off yesterday when we usually watch it at lunch (WFH 100% currrently) But I use FB and Instagram for the community aspect as I am part of multiple interest groups I really enjoy (for hobbies such as cooking and exercising.)

I can't help but feel guilty about "putting my head in the sand" but then I really need to address how depressed I feel after listening or treading the news. Does anyone else feel similarly?

I haven't watched the news in years. Nor have I bought a newspaper for a decade or more. I get the headlines from Twitter. It's turned into a rabbit hole, causing anxiety and rage. Best be out of it. I'm looking at you Sky News who always lie to get clicks and views.

I seriously limit my news intake. I very rarely watch it on TV & while I feel I 'know what's going on', I don't look at anything in any depth.
It is just too easy to take it all on board too much. The horrific murders are truly awful but there is nothing we can do to help the families of the victims.
Omicron will rage along whether we spend a lot of time worrying about it or not.
I've become almost obsessed with the news in the past but now I prioritise my family, self, friends & work etc & just block a lot of the rest out.

Disliked news on as a DC and almost never watched it after leaving home. Read it instead.

It’s not necessarily ‘being an engaged citizen’ to passively watch or discuss news.

I stopped a few.months ago and shortly going to try to work out how to hide CV on mumsnet.

I stopped watching the news and reading papers years ago. Apart from our local paper.

I occasionally may click on a link of news if it intrigues me. Though bitterly regretted looking at an online newspaper article about a school trip bus crash

In an actual paper there may be only a few pictures but as it was online there were a whole stream of pictures that I considered unsavoury. There was actually a photo of a blood smeared door with a caption along the lines of 'blood covered door' and a picture of hearses with the caption... waiting to collect the corpses. These were someone's children and I feel if the parents ever came across these articles. I was shocked at how graphic it was and I think we have become desensiitzed to what is now considered good for publishing

So I have chosen again not to look

What’s gets me about the news, is I don’t feel it’s informative for a good reason. Like others, it seems that’s it’s just to sell papers (ads). Like someone else said, I don’t feel more informed once I’ve read the news, I just feel more miserable and scared. If I read the news and it made me feel like I could take positive action to do something about injustice or a particular issue, then I think it would be worth it. But just reading it and learning about all the grim things in the world is not helpful.

I suggest listening to radio 3, their news is mainly 200 years old or very high level.

Only read Private Eye.

That’s enough.

I recommend the AD (anti-dementor) threads on MN. Lovely group who feel same as you and like to keep it light

A good test for me on a lot of factual output is: did I learn anything from listening?

I don't watch normal TV since ExH moved out, he had it on constantly and it annoyed me. I watch Netflix sometimes. So never see the news ir anything current affairs related. I dont buy newspapers either. I do look at news online sometimes but can go weeks without looking

I haven't watched it since January 2020 time. I dread to think what my mental state would be like if I was watching it now.

I’ve stopped watching/reading anything re the murder of women and children. Like the pp I know there was a child called Arthur (and now one called Star), but I simply cannot know anymore, I think I would have a breakdown.

I realised I had to stop watching when it came out re the reason for the boyf to kill his girlfriend and her two children plus the friend of the daughter on the sleepover. I read it and my dd walked in (11) and I couldn’t stop crying. Was a wake up call to stay away from that sort of story.

I don’t mind covid news, it doesn’t upset my MH.

When husband had a severe depressive episode a few years ago, we stopped watching the national news, listening to local news, just listened to music radio. It helped.

I still read the paper, but not when he was around. I haven't got back in the habit. I will read the newspaper now, and the Economist sometimes - and following a few people on Twitter. I find reading a newspaper means I get the news in the way I want to and can process it better.

I don't miss the evening news.