to stop following politics or watching the news for a while at least?

[tabbycatty]

I have always been pretty politically engaged, active even since my teen years. The past couple of years haven't been the smoothest with wider family issues and I've recently been very unwell with a life threatening illness. I am now out of hospital and the woods but still recovering. I didn't really follow much news or politics for a while when I was very ill and spent my initial recovery listening to audiobooks and watching movies in bed.

The last few days I've tried to re-engage in current affairs and I am just finding it too much, the horror of what is happening in Gaza and Israel, the reaction around the globe, going back on to twitter and seeing the sheer nastiness and vulgarity I just feel done with it. I am a Labour party member and have been active in the past but I just don't like the party very much anymore to many broken promises from Starmer and a betrayal of women. I'm also dismayed by the very black and white attitude towards differing views in politics in general.

Would I be unreasonable to just step back from it all and just not engage for a while? I've been thinking of ending my membership of the labour party for a while now although I'd probably still vote for them in a General Election. Also the news, I feel guilty not staying informed when I always have but I just don't have the bandwidth for it at the moment, its a luxury position I know but I'm so sick of it all. I think even after I'd need to find healthier ways to engage with the material compared to how I've consumed media in the past.

For now all I want to do is cosy in, watch old films, read old novels, knit, bake and cook nice food and perhaps get out and enjoy some nice autumn, early winter weather and spend time with people I love. Is that so unreasonable?

I feel like it would do a lot of people good to disengage with politics and global news a bit and pay more attention to what's going on around them. Not to the point of being completely uninformed, but not needing to get regular breaking news alerts throughout the day or to hear the opinions of every self-proclaimed twitter expert on every single issue. These days some people seem to treat following the news and current events as almost like a hobby, or in extreme cases even an addiction, and I find it a little disturbing for reasons I can't quite put my finger on.

As for it being a privilege to be able to opt out, it's true that we're lucky to have a choice compared to those whose real lives are caught up in major events, but globally that's actually an incredibly small number of people. I live in a developing country, and very very few people here pay attention to the finer details of world events the way lots do in the US and UK, because frankly there are more immediate things to worry about. From another perspective, it's a privilege if you're able to devote that much time to ruminating on things that don't directly concern you.

I gave up the Today programme and PM when I no longer drove to work. I’ve now given up all TV news. I listen to Any Questions and Any Answers and skim The Telegraph, Times and Guardian most days. I can’t deal with too much reality any more.

I'm with you OP and I used to be a complete news & politics junkie. I listen to times radio Monday -Thursday mornings, but I've given up my radio 4 habit except for the News Quiz & don't miss it at all.

I get so irritated with social media posts (including Mumsnet) that harangue me. Especially if they start "did you know"! Yes I ducking do know, but this doesn't mean I am responsible for, or have any influence over the conflict in the Middle East. Nor does it mean I am interested in a SM narrative that uses less critical thinking than the vegetables at the back of my fridge drawer.

Maybe I should try the podcasts.

So much of 24/7 news coverage is essentially filled with speculation and talking head opinion spaffers.

I few the same way. I do want to be informed though, I just wish there could be some sort of publication/channel/podcast that would give me the gist of what's happening without horrific details and images of suffering.

I feel the same too

I find the 24 hours/ always on nature of news is quite anxiety inducing. Notifications to your phone etc. I also tend to stay away from videos and prefer to read or listen.

This countries political situation feels dire and its been 10years of poor leadership and cut backs of services which we are now seeing the consequences of.

It seems to be one awful story after another and little you can change as an average citizen of the UK.....