How many times a day do you read or watch the news?

[CoolDown]

I never watch the news these days but I do check the headlines online several times a day. Today must have been five or six times. That’s the national news and the local news! Sometimes the news is so awful that I know it can’t be good for me especially if I get caught up in a story and keep checking for updates. It’s important to keep up with current affairs but I need to set a limit. What is the norm for you?

None - I try to avoid it!

I need to stop. I probably look at the headlines on BBC and the Guardian every couple of hours at least. I wake up in the morning genuinely scared of what might have happened overnight - it just seems absolutely relentless atm.

Not at all if I can help it. It makes me so anxious - which I think is the intended effect.

More than 5 or 6, for sure. Plus I'm aware of breaking news via social media.

I look over the headline stories on the BBC first thing in the morning and that’s it.

I look at the headlines about once a day. Don’t read much, don’t watch ever. Went on hol with a family member who put the news on the telly twice a day and it’s just so negative, and led to them just complaining for about 2 hours a day without being able to change anything they’re moaning about. It’s not for me. I still manage to know what’s going on in the world.

I am going to aim to read the news just once in the morning and once in the evening.

As and when things are brought to my attention but I don't seek it out on a day. Sometimes denial works better.

Loads, absolutely loads, I have Sky News on pretty much all day as my WFH background, I'm an absolute news nerd though and was up in the night watching Kamala Harris' speech at the DNC.

The broadcastig of news is not all about you, don't be daft. You don't really believe that do you?

Zero. I used to be well informed but since 2020 I actively avoid the news. DH will tell me if anything major happens

I just listen to the radio and hear bulletins on there. Usually wake up to it and hear bits through the day. DH would probably mention a big story or I might see a thread on here so that would make me read more but not every day.

Anything between 1 and 4 depending on how hectic my day is.

I read the top articles on the bbc news app in the morning. And my phone is set up for bbc breaking news alerts (although I might turn this off because imo they play very fast and loose with the term "breaking news").

Other than that I don't really.

Although I do listen to a couple of political podcasts, so get some news that way, that's probably 5 or 6 episodes a week of political news/discussion.

That’s what I’ve been (trying) to do as well. Sometimes I end up checking midday as well, but it’s way down from what it used to be (many times a day). It’s anxiety-inducing and addictive because of that.

Yep. It's well documented. Read the rest of the thread. It keeps people coming back for more. Traditional news media, like newspapers and TV news is dying on its arse as younger people turn to social media.

Headlines in morning while drinking morning tea and full news late at night.

This is actually quite concerning, the majority of responses from people who don't like the news because it makes them anxious! Good God, take your head out of the sand, forewarned is forearmed. Knowledge is power (insert any other clichéd trope about understanding the world around you)

To answer your question OP I have breaking news alerts (BBC), check the news 4/5 times a day, Times, Guardian, Torygraph mainly (gotta get some balance) as well as BBC, more if there's something in particular brewing, listen mainly to R4 in the car.

ETA keeping up with the news doesn't make me feel anxious at all.

Never,

forewarned is forearmed

It’s good to not live completely in a bubble, but the vast majority of the news you can literally do nothing about. Some people are more anxiety- prone than others, it’s not a good idea to exacerbate mental health issues by compulsively checking the news. If you don’t have this issue then that’s fine, but not everyone is the same.

Whwre is it well documented that news is designed to make you anxious?

There are a huge number of sources of news all over the globe, none of which give any thought it how it affects you.

Excluding yours and mine there are fewer than 20 poays on this thread, why would that be meaningful in any way?

tbh if something new happens, I keep checking , then forget to go on the BBC for months. LOL. Not a great help here ...never have been a big news fan , living daily life has always been so interesting and amazing as it is

Never, I can live without the anxiety the news gives me.
I even switched to a radio station that doesn't even have news bulletins

Zero. There's no point

I’m a bit of a newshound. I’ll have TV news on if I’m not watching or doing anything else. Had to stop during the worst of Covid though as it was sending me doolally as my work was also wall to wall Covid so it was all I read, heard and talked about