To what extent do you live in your own bubble?

[buttersigh]

I think I probably do and although I like to be aware of the news and current events I also, for the sake my my own peace of mind like to enjoy what little privilege I have to enjoy the nice things about my life without letting the outside in too much. Anyone else with me?

I completely live in a bubble and protect my peace at all costs.

I never watch the news.

I have cut out / slow-faded toxic, one-sided or generally sub-optimal friendships and relationships, and only spend time with people that add to my life.

I have no problem with saying “no” to anything I don’t want to do.

I don’t really engage in popular culture for the sake of it and have absolutely no idea who 90% of “celebrities” are these days (and I’m only in my 30s).

I live in my bubble as much as possible, I’ve had previous jobs in child mental health services that nearly broke me. I don’t click on contentious or scaremongering threads on here, have no social media at all and never have. I get the news headlines in the morning from Alexa then avoid it for the rest of the day. I don’t watch dramas about rape or abducted children. Big ole ostrich me.

I am very happy in my bubble. I decided to take a massive step back a few years ago after finding that what I was choosing to watch and engage with was really harming my own wellbeing.

I stopped watching the news and I deleted my news apps during lockdown. The nightly Covid death counter was giving me anxiety. I've found listening to the news easier than watching so I'll now listen to the headlines on the radio and then that is it.

I stopped watching anything where something bad happens to children. Especially since I've become a parent. I watched that documentary called something like American Family the Murder Next Door on Netflix years ago and it still haunts me. I just find that sort of content way too upsetting so have completely stepped away from it. My DM will still try to discuss awful things that have happened in the news with me despite me repeatedly telling her I don't want to hear it.

I am much, much happier living this way. I'm no longer anxious, I'm content the vast majority of the time and I just focus on my work, my friends and my family.

I'm aware it is a privilege choosing to stay in a bubble but I am happy here.

I was in hospital recently and the woman in the bed next to me had a parade of visitors who discussed local crime with barely concealed glee. I had to put earbuds in to drown out the tales of theft, housebreaking, knife fights which were apparently taking place metres away from me. Beats me how people get off on this.

That’s very strange. But I think it’s like when people relish others’ misfortune. When I used to tell DM things (she’s now on a strict information diet), she was all ears when something was going wrong in my life - not being of any help, mind - but had literally nothing to say to any good news I had. Couldn’t change the topic faster.

I enjoy my extremely privileged life and I also like to be aware of what is going on in the world and closer to home. I and try and see different points of view and put myself in the position of others.

I think this is what I do, I'm aware of the world but I don't get sucked into it or wallow in misery as some people seem to.

It’s cruelty to animals that really haunts me. I give money to an RSPCA and I have to try not to think about the poor animals as I get so upset.

I also live in my bubble , i avoid the news & negative people & situations. It be difficult as i work as a hairdresser i have been known to
put a poster up on my mirror with banned topics it really improves my time at woke & the clients are more relaxed. I feel like life is so fast paced everyone trying to keep up with fads . I’ve opted out for a more simple kind of like which i enjoy. After covid i had to have therapy for burn out so try and avoid the drama x

I've found my tribe!

I mostly avoid the news, especially if, like currently, it is likely to feature the skin crawling, wheedling, whiny, toneless voice coming out of the puckered cat's anus mouth of Donald Trump.

I stopped watching news and current affairs when he got elected the second time. It wasn't so much that he got elected, it was the way most media outlets chose to report it as if he was any old run of the mill politician rather than the antichrist.

So I do live in something of a bubble now.

I can't imagine being in a bubble. I check the news pretty much as soon as I wake up and multiple times throughout the day. I don't feel the need to switch off from it as it rarely affects me personally, I just like to be informed.

The total opposite, I watch so much news, but then I am very interested in doing so!

Sort of.

i do live in a (physical) bubble. I don’t go out much or see many people.

i used to work in teaching and would interact with so, so many people each day and often have evening activities as well.

my life is much much quieter now.

i don’t watch the bbc news anymore because when you can identify the talking points the politicians have been told to get out there it’s not of interest. I do read quite a lot - mostly FT, Exonomist, and I follow various economists and social studies people on Twitter as well as classicists like Mary Beard.

I think everyone does this if you thought to much about whats going in the world and took it to heart you would have a breakdown. People stay in a bubble to protect themselves you can't take on everybody's problems

@Crushed23 this is me too.

I also have zero social media, not even tik tok. It's too much. Let me live in my little house with my little family oblivious to it all x

I'm similar to game of jones

Much as I try and stay in my bubble, anything in the news regarding animal/child cruelty promptly bursts it.

Not me at all. I read two mainstream newspapers each morning, and usually listen to a current affairs podcast 3-4 times a week. Will actively seek out opinions I disagree with and try to understand their POV.

Slightly more prosaically I work in a food bank and it’s very normal for clients to come in and discuss everything from their experiences as asylum seekers through DV through racism through homelessness and just about every other topic imaginable.

I’m not always very vocal about my opinions but I like to read about and test them.

I’m a happy little hermit. Yes, I’m in a bubble and now work to prioritise my peace.

It’s taken me a long time to understand what is best for me, but I wouldn’t change it at all. I value my company, my time, my peace and my sanity..!

No news and no social media!

Yup, I don’t use social media except instagram and that’s mainly to follow my favourite DJs to hear about secret raves (went to one last night in fact 😁) and travel accounts to get inspiration.

I love living in a bubble.

I am so much happier and less stressed now I no longer watch the news or current affairs programmes on the telly. I even switch the car radio off in the car when it gets to an o'clock. My news these days mostly comes from the headlines on the BBC website, and I only really skim read those. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. Or preferably: what you don't know, you can't worry about.

I love my bubble. It’s safe and small. My little world is all I need.

I used to be incredibly informed. I was still in a bubble because that is life, but my bubble these days is very small and has thick walls.

The only way I don’t get depressed lately is to stop myself from spending more than 15 minutes a day reading the news.

I suppose I've seen what that kind of constant news checking has done to a close family member and it has been really bad for their mental health. I do have a subscription to the New Statesman, and I usually listen to the today programme in the morning so I'm not totally clueless but constant news checking isn't healthy in my opinion. I think a lot of people got a bit addicted to that with the arrival of rolling news, especially in the aftermath of September 11th. I do get it because it's like people are always waiting for the next big or awful thing to happen. I don't think it's healthy or useful though.