To switch off the news, not read papers, avoid doom predictions

[valder]

In view of the constant bombardment of news related to Trump, Putin, threats of war, annexation of Canada and Greenland (WTF?) and all sorts of worrying things, am I right to ignore all the news updates, analyses, podcasts, newspapers, TV documentaries all about the current situation?

Well I know one thing, I am far better off without the incessant reports that would frighten the life out of you! I am so much calmer without all that.

I do keep up with the generality of it, as in the headlines. If it's anything very serious I will know.

I have deleted all the news apps and scroll past any news videos. I used to enjoy having a news tv channel on in the background and would always catch up with what was going but now I don’t do any of it.

YEp!

Stick to Eastenders and Gardeners World - much nicer.

Totally agree. I can't stand to hear the name of that orange idiot anymore. I am not watching the news till he is gone, probably.

I used to criticise my mum when she did this in her mid-60 s and just got on with her days. “I don’t know how much longer I have and I’m not going to spoil it reading about things there’s bugger all I can do to influence.”

Our daughter, with her 4 year old child, also avoids news.

I’m beginning to understand their point of view.

i have basically evaded all news for the last 40 odd years! it makes me so depressed i stop caring many years ago about whats going on

I’ve got enough things to fret about. Things that happen in day to day life. I don’t have the headspace to agonise over things I cannot influence or change. It feels as though the world is going to hell in a handcart, but I can only deal with my tiny bit of it.

If that’s parochial, or selfish, or whatever epithet anyone wants to attach to it, so be it.

That's largely how I feel also. When people ask me why I don't "inform myself properly" (I do though but not every minute of every day!), I say, look all those talking heads can keep talking, but there's absolutely nothing that I can do to change things. That's why we elect people, to act for us in our best interests - hopefully.

But you are right, I am interested in things that happen in my village, town and city, but as for global stuff like what is happening at breakneck speed at the moment, nope, not a thing I can do about it. Is there? So avoiding it and endless analyses and talk, talk, talk is certainly good for the anxiety levels.

I did this during Covid. Whilst I'm aware it was important I was fed up of the constant doom and gloom and hearing about MPs breaking lockdown rules

I think it's difficult. I don't want to be ignorant, personally. But I do get that ignorance is bliss! There isn't much good news around at the moment.

I also think we need to remember that the news is an industry and marketing machine that is very much about making money, getting views and clicks and comments. The very notion that we should care about everything happening in and across the world, otherwise we are uninformed and uneducated, is part of that.

id say most of the current news unless its breaking news, is more analysis and discussions