Adults should actually know what’s going on in the world?

[Dailywalk]

Is it important to keep up to date on ‘current affairs’. What would you think if someone said they’d rather be unaware of what is going on in the news. If it’s something that’s really important and will affect them then they will find out eventually. It doesn’t change to know al the ‘details’

Interested to know what people think. Is it important to be aware of what’s going on in the news?

I think so. I often announce that I'm through with the news, but I do think that having a knowledge of what's going on in the world is important. I think it's immature not to.

I’m conflicted about this because I feel like a lot of news is click bait and advertising revenue related. So hearing about some random person who died in a terrible accident might get clicks but isn’t necessarily helpful to me in any meaningful way.

I don't watch the news. Might catch something if it comes up on my phone but other than that the majority of things don't really affect you on a personal level. Obviously covid related things you hear about anyway but no one needs the worlds doom and gloom shoved down their throat everyday.

I once had a teacher who was diagnosed with depression and she was told that she should avoid watching the news for a month to see if there was any improvement. She said there was - transference is real.

I agree that it's important for people to know what is going on but not that they need to keep up with it daily. I watched the news like 24/7 during lockdown 1 and it was far too much and I was consumed by it all. Many people were the same. It can affect people's mental health. So I think keeping up to date on headlines every couple of days is important but you don't need to know every single thing. Anything urgent is plastered everywhere anyway.

Also news is selective. So many people don't realise this!

I don't have much interest in the news. I read the breaking news stuff online but I never actively read through a news site or watch it on TV. I have no need to be 'aware' of everything going on, it just doesn't interest me in the slightest. I'm autistic and too much information is difficult to process, I don't need the stress attached. I'm happy reading the big headlines (even then I won't read the whole article) and seeking out information is and when I want/need to.

When I am struggling to cope with life the first thing I cut is watching the news.

The last fucking thing I need when I'm feeling overwhelmed is to keep up to date with global warming, murders of people I don't know, sleazy politicians and the general depressing state the country is in. I don't need to know that energy prices are doubling again or that Putin is about to invade Ukraine.

It's not helpful for me. It doesn't mean I'm failing as an adult, thanks. It means I know what is a priority for my emotional wellbeing.

I used to think it was odd

About five years ago, I realised the amount of stuff I heard that had nothing to do with me was quite overwhelming.

I now understand it much better if people don't see any news at all. Even without trying to consume it, you see it around.

God no, it's too depressing.

I listen to the News Quiz or the Now Show on Friday evenings to keep up with what's going on in the world. I can only cope with current affairs when heavily filtered with humour.

Why? I'm stressed enough with what's going on in my immediate family without having to worry about Chinese spies/Russian shenanigans/latest covid figures.

Hmmm I think it depends. I often go a week or so without heavily consuming the news, it can be really depressing and morbid! But then if people are only getting their news from the main websites, then they're consuming heavily redacted and selective news anyway, so they're hardly "up to date", I think it doesn't really matter what people decide to read / not read.

Reading through these replies, its easy to see why we voted Brexit and elected a Clown for PM.

If you don't care and don't engage, that's your choice.

But don't then think your reckons are as right as my properly thought out, reasonable, considered, educated opinion.

Choosing to know nothing, read nothing and learn nothing? Great. Avoid referenda!

If you don’t care, don’t follow, then please don’t vote.

I fully agree that you don't need to do obsessively follow the news of which famous person has died etc but I strongly believe that you do need to be fully aware and know about the big ticket issues- currently IMO Boris and enquiry, Ukraine, inflation, tension with China etc.

I often hear comments like "I don't watch / read the news - it's so depressing" etc. The danger with this approach is that you will find out about the big events eventually but with no idea about how they came about.

This then makes you very susceptible to conspiracy theories or populist politics to explain the big events leading for example to uninformed voting decisions. Because a simple (but false) explanation is always easier to take on board than understanding a more complex but accurate explanation.

@MadMadMadamMim

When I am struggling to cope with life the first thing I cut is watching the news.

The last fucking thing I need when I'm feeling overwhelmed is to keep up to date with global warming, murders of people I don't know, sleazy politicians and the general depressing state the country is in. I don't need to know that energy prices are doubling again or that Putin is about to invade Ukraine.

It's not helpful for me. It doesn't mean I'm failing as an adult, thanks. It means I know what is a priority for my emotional wellbeing.

So much this. Exactly. The news is utterly depressing. I have to cut consumption to cope at the moment.

You put words to my feelings.

No I totally agree with that.

I can't do anything Putin and Ukraine. What I can do is be a cheerful happy mum, wife, daughter, friend. It adds to the sum of happiness in the world, rather than me wringing my hands.

Years ago my parents read the paper in the morning and watched the 9 o'clock news. Thats enough to be informed enough to cast a vote without being steeped in misery.

Wish I could remember where I heard it, but read an article lately which cited a study that found that highly engaged people were less likely to have an informed view of the world - they are more likely to have a highly partisan, ideological view of the world.
That made sense to me, brought to mind those soccer ultra fans who know every stat and transfer but hate the opposite teams.

If anything actually happens, I will know, never watch news, it's bollocks.

@Alexandra2001

Reading through these replies, its easy to see why we voted Brexit and elected a Clown for PM.

Isn’t it just? It’s so depressing.

Didn’t take long for the smug fuckers to appear on the thread.

Wish I could remember where I heard it, but read an article lately which cited a study that found that highly engaged people were less likely to have an informed view of the world - they are more likely to have a highly partisan, ideological view of the world.

Without a decent source that's apocryphal. Which is ironic, or something!

@Alexandra2001

Reading through these replies, its easy to see why we voted Brexit and elected a Clown for PM.

Is it?

I didn't do either of these things.

I like to know generally what’s going on in the news although all the Covid stuff is relentless.
But I might have a look once a day rather than have rolling news on the TV or be continually looking on my phone.

@Tsuni

Didn’t take long for the smug fuckers to appear on the thread.

Celebrating ignorance and hating knowledge is stupid. I'd rather be smug than stupid.

@shivabeaver

If anything actually happens, I will know, never watch news, it's bollocks.

You sound like just the type of voter our politicians love!

Politics governs everything in our communities, from transport to schools to health... and the only way you can make some sort of informed choice is by watching and or reading a couple of different news sources.

Otherwise you may as well just vote wearing a blindfold.