"Oh I never watch the news"

[oklumberjack]

Ok, I feeling really judgemental about this I'll admit, but here goes.

I went out for dinner this week with some school mum's from the primary my dd has just left. These women are acquaintances of mine. Nice women, friendly but I don't consider them my closest friends.

Over the course of lunch, we were discussing our summer etc. I mentioned the Olympics and something about Theresa May. They all looked blankly at me. All 5 of them said they hadn't seen any Olympics and had no idea how we'd done. 3 of them had not even heard of Theresa May. The conversation then got on to how they never watch the news, or read a newspaper or even access it online. As soon as news comes on they turn over. I was shocked. I kept very quiet that I'm a Radio 4 and 5live listener, avid Daily Politics watcher and rather enjoyed watching the cycling,rowing and diving at the Olympics on the BBC.

However they could tell me all about Love Island, Big Brother and TOWIE which is where the conversation went next. I felt really out of place. They seemed to think that being interested in the news made you some kind of snob.

Ok, so we're out of step in what we like. We probably won't hang out much in the future, however please tell me I'm not really unusual in checking in with the news at least twice a day!

I can understand people not being interested in the Olympics. Not everyone is into watching sports.

Never accessing ANY news/not knowing the basics about the country you live in, does seem a bit odd to me.

I think such people do vote though - usually for what the tabloids "advise"!

At least you know you're not likely to have much in common! Wow. I can't imagine being able to watch those programmes. The trailers depress the hell out of me. So many stupid people being visibly and permanently stupid.

Are you joking? Gordon brown hasn't been PM for SIX years

tbh I don't really care.

They had heard of Brexit but only one of them voted in the referendum. They said it had nothing to do with them. They knew lots had happened afterwards but weren't sure what. 2 of them thought Boris Johnson was running the country.

I'm somewhere in the middle. I watch the news and know some of whats happening in politics but i also watch Big Brother. I don't watch TOWIE or Love Island though. I do like to have an idea of what is going on in the World. I do not buy newspapers though.

Why odd? What's the old saying, news travels fast, I don't watch the news but I can tell you who Thresa May is, what Brexit is and most of the topical news, each go their own anyway, no one should force their views on anyone else. If you want to watch the news, watch it, if you don't, dont.......end of.

This group of women are school mum's I've known for 7 years whilst my dd was at Primary. I've only ever really exchanged school stuff and a bit of school gossip before. Like I say, all nice women, I just felt I obviously didn't fit! So it's no matter really as we won't hang out much in future.

I couldn't imagine being friends with a neurotypical person who didn't know who the PM was. That's taking dim to a new level. Exasperating.

The Olympics isn't everyone's cup of tea. Fair enough.

I'm indifferent about reality tv. I like Strictly and Dragons Den. I got into Big Brother during the series that featured Pete and Glyn. If I were interested in cooking I'd watch Bake Off I'm sure. I loved the Call Centre. So, I wouldn't particularly assume anything about someone who watched reality tv.

I get upset about stories featuring dead children/motorway pile ups/refugees who've perished en route to safety etc. So, I try to avoid those. I follow political and sports writers on Twitter and avoid the other stuff where possible.

I rarely watch the news unless it's on in the background at work, I'm not on social media either. I just don't feel the need to, it's not like I can do anything about it. The only way I know what's going on is through other people so I guess if all of your friends/family don't bother then how would you know? Some people live in a bubble.

We became very wary of the news at one point as none of it, not even the Beeb, is truly impartial, every single media outlet has its own agenda. And DH really started to feel that a lot of news, particularly on TV, was being presented as entertainment.

So we stopped watching the news on TV, but still dipped into a variety of printed and online news, trying to find the truth in there somewhere!

To not know who the PM is is simply spectacularly ignorant.

I wish I could stop watching/reading the news and I wish I was less interested in Politics. The truth is that it is all depressing and what's even more depressing is that we can't do anything about it. We try to kid ourselves that our voice actually matters but it doesn't.

I too an judgy about this. My 11 year old DD knows that Theresa May is PM.

I spoke to someone at my work in the run-up to Brexit who thought "it's nothing to do with me". Her daughter works for a foreign-owned bank.

Oh I watch my fair share of Bake Off, Dragons Den and Strictly too! It was the unawareness of world events.....

Ok, so I'm being a bit unreasonable. Fair enough.

I have to say I feel quite a lot better about myself. I haven't watched the 6 o clock news in ages (oooh, since kids bedtimes took over) and I often feel quite ashamed about that.

But am now realising that I actually know everything that's going on - I just learn it via my phone. I "read the newspapers" every day, just in a very modern way!

I'm the same as you with regards to radio 4 occasionally 5live and daily politics, but I couldn't be any less interested in the Olympics. I vaguely know how we've done due to it popping up on the news. I don't think the Olympics has anything to do with a person's grasp of reality

I've noticed this amongst other mums I've met...I once mentioned something that happened in the news at a baby group.... NEVER AGAIN! Everyone looked at me like I had three heads!

Being so out of touch with the news seems very odd to me. They weren't exactly small news stories either!
Do these people vote? How can they make decisions on who to vote for if they are so unaware....
A friend of mine will not let her kids see or hear any news as she wants to protect them from things. I find that a bit OTT, yes some items are a bit much for children but surely they need to be aware of things?

How can you not care about the news? Especially when some of the bad stuff is being done by your government, in your name? And affects the future, including that of your kids?

Itgoes my dd11 knows all the main politicians too. I think she's just picked it up.

I like Politics. I'm a floating voter. I have an old friend who's an MP. I guess it just an odd hobby!

Well you're not unusual but everyone's different.

I didn't watch the Olympics, I don't enjoy sport, but I also don't watch Towie or big brother or any reality TV.

I do like watching the news, a lot. Dh hates the news but likes the Olympics, would never watch reality tv.

You're not either one or the other I guess you don't have this in common with these women but you may have other things which you didn't realise.

Interested to know if they voted in the referendum?

It terrifies me people so wilfully ignorant raise children in a world where knowledge is power tbh

I was just using the Olympics as an example of an event that had recently happened that had been on a lot. Tis all.

Spirited, one of them voted. The others thought it had nothing to do with them.