Anyone else find the news unbearable?

[AutumnalCosiness]

I used to listen to Radio 4 every morning. I just can't do it for more than a few minutes now.
It's so negative and aggressive, I just switch off.

I rarely watch TV news now. I get the brief hourly headlines through the radio. MN is a flagging point for current affairs and then I can read up anything particularly interesting. Reading tends to be less emotionally sensationalist than the TV.

I'm old enough to remember Lebanon being bombed 40 odd years ago and the hostages like John McCarthy and Terry Waite. Israel is surrounded by nations that want to obliterate it. The feuds are ancient. It's sad, and tragic for the individual citizens tangled up in the consquences of it all. But I can't change it so there's no point in investing too much personal emotion in it. I'm aware of atrocities happening on both sides and that's enough.

There's other long-running conflicts that get less air time such as Yemmen, and never did, even in their early phases.

With events like the US election build up, constant coverage for a year over all the minutiae doesn't particularly enhance the big picture understanding. It becomes tedious and monotonous. The outcome is globally important, but it's not like British citizens get to cast votes.

Watching more news and people pontificating about it won't enhance my quality of life, and it's not improving the state of the world. A general awareness is enough for many.

I literally just skim a few headlines but I think there are multiple reasons why everything feels so in your face and negative- it's not just the news. It's MN/ social media as well.

No one seems to have a laugh anymore or accept difference of opinion, everyone seems aggressive- maybe the government should add sertraline into the water supply 😂

I do, have months out from the digital world and detox with a good book or hobby.

I never watch the news. I do listen but I’ve almost given up on R4 and find I’m on BBC World Service more these days

I find it more informative, in depth and less provoking

Also R6 music for about half the time

I tend to check mainstream news outlets and X through the day, so I never watch TV news any more, it's old by the time it's on TV. I don't find it too depressing, just boring and I can't be bothered keeping track of the various conflicts now. But I think it's important to keep track of news stories, you never know when it might be relevant to you. I do active investing so keeping up with news has been important for my returns.

I have stopped watching the news post 6pm. Its not good for your mental health. I was watching the 6pm news last night as thought it was important to dip into current affairs. My ds16 said to me "what can I do? Nothing so I'm not going to worry" that's my mantra too. I can feel pity of everyone but in powerless and I don't want to turn into hopeless.

I remember watching the US/UK bombing IRAQ in 03 and I was watching it in my student accomodation on the BBC News Channel in the middle of the night, I remember it feeling like a dangerous moment in history. I was studying International Politics so perhaps my awareness was more heightened but I remember others around me not studying politics feeling the same.

News is a mind control tool to get people to panic and focus on the negative.

There are plenty of good things happening in the world. The news just don't report them

I remember reading an article written by someone who used to work in the news.

He said that they carefully plan to control the mood of the population. To make everyone stressed and anxious

I think 'when it hits the fan' is interesting but morally confusing as one of the presenters is an ex-Sun editor and is being paid for a podcast that explains how powerful and manipulative the trash newspapers are, one of which he is a former editor of!

I do usually avoid radio TV news, just catch up via the BBC website, but it’s hard in this house, since dh (home most of the day) is addicted to news and wants it on umpteen times a day, however depressing.

TBH I mostly stopped listening to R4 when it was non-stop Brexit, Brexit, bloody Brexit -I just couldn’t bear the B word any more.

Feel the same.
Something has happened to me lately, I feel so despairing of the state of the world - environment, political, social - whatever the subject, it seems we're sort of oscillating more intensely as the years go on, towards a meltdown.
That's how the news makes me feel anyway. It seems the aim is to keep us all feeling hypervigilant and fearful.
It comes from all angles and I think the older you get you start to realise that one bad event is simply replaced by another.
There is no end and there's no solution that will stop human conflict and violence for good.
I often want to hunker down and shut it all out so I can function without feeling hopeless!
So much shouting, vacuous speculation, corruption, manipulation and misinformation, so many hidden agendas - still can't believe a man like Trump was in power and may well be again soon - but if I take a step back I can filter and see things more clearly.

And like a PP upthread, I'm sick of the impact of male violence and depravity upon us all.
I limit my news now. Glance at the headlines, actual news on radio, and even with a small intake, I don't think it's doing my head any good. Not sure I have the bandwidth to cope anymore.
(Sorry, that was so negative! I try to keep life really simple so I can tick along and enjoy parts of it, be open to new experiences, lovely stuff etc. Bit hit and miss though 😬)

I stopped in 2021. I wish I had stopped as soon as the pandemic began.

DH watches it almost religiously and nothing annoys me more than when he leaves the TV on and I walk in to the doom and gloom.

If something important is going on I hear about it here 🫣and I've found I don't need much more

I stopped listening to he news pre pandemic, no need for all this info. I have fleeting flashes of it because my husband wants to watch part of it, but I just take off and go do something else. I glance at the headlines in the morning on an online paper but that´s it. And I am much better for it.

I stopped watching the news after Partygate was the headline news for over a year

If the presenters could squeeze partygate into any interview they would do.

Just by osmosis you get to hear about the news

Having taken a step back what I have noticed is the "news" seems to be presented as a single subject matter. It is then talked about over and over and over until it is felt that everyone thinks in a certain way then they move on to the next subject matter

First it was Partygate, then what Megan Markel and Harry were up to, now it is the US elections.

Most of it is not news. It is just rehashing the same subject matter over and over

I wonder what the news would look like if the news was The News I.e what had happened in the last 24 hours and once the subject matter has been broadcast couldnt be referred to again unless something significant had happened.

Haven't read the thread but yes, just this morning I put on some classical music instead. It's too sad to think of all those people suffering on all sides, the narrative on the middle east does seem biased to one side as well. Though even if it were not biased, it's still just too much. And the overemphasis on the US elections has been taken to ridiculous levels. You'd be forgiven for thinking they were our elections. Other countries exist and matter.

Classic FM is often my salvation for hearing something nice, but I always switch off the news (and the adverts as well). The way they do the news is even worse than Radio 4, and they often do the interviews with somebody crying.

I don’t watch, listen to or read the news. It’s all too depressing.

I stopped watching the news, I find it affects your mental health to negatively if consumed regularly.

"There are plenty of good things happening in the world. The news just don't report them"

I found this positive news site which I read to try and balance out all the negative news:
https://www.positive.news/society/good-news-stories-from-week-39-of-2024/

I stopped watching the news on TV years ago. I used to listen to radio 5 in the morning but that became too much. I do scan headlines most days (BBC news, the guardian) but might stop that as it's too depressing.

Not read the whole thread , but I do find the news de

.. depressing especially lately

Try LBC. If its the morning show Nick Ferrari is a great host. He is very open and doesnt hold back his questions...he can sometimes be ruthless to some callers which makes it even more entertaining. Even the shows through the day and evening are quite interesting. Also it doesnt have many adverts like other stations so is quite a good listen.

What’s the point?

In truth there is less war and death than 100s of years ago as then every country was constantly at war.

However in my life time there has been constant war in the Middle East, Russian issues (Cold War to Ukraine), terrorism IRA to whatever Isis and their ilk are called. Genocide in Rwanda, the Ibos in Nigeria. To name a few.
Women murdered and raped with impunity.
It will still be raging on when I take my last breath!
Face facts mankind (men) is made up of many narcissists, psychopaths, low IQ followers and greedy mofos. Nothing will change that. Humans (men) love war.

I don't watch the news anymore or even TV really. I find it causes too much stress

@ThatLostSock I was just thinking of Positive News and realised I'd not visited that site for way too long. Thanks for posting the link, it's a great reminder of all the good that's happening in the world 😊

https://www.positive.news/

This is a good site when it's all a bit much. I also often switch to foreign networks who seem to offer more balance and breadth than the BBC.