Sickened by the news...

[Ultralight]

So much bad stuff in the news... anyone else just sickened by it? Anyone considering a news fast?

[iris lilies]

So much bad stuff in the news... anyone else just sickened by it? Anyone considering a news fast?
If you are overwhelmed by news and it looms large in your life, you do need to take a news fast. There is little good served by hearing all of the news all of the time.

[Ultralight]

If you are overwhelmed by news and it looms large in your life, you do need to take a news fast. There is little good served by hearing all of the news all of the time. I know, I know. I went on a few news fasts before, one was for a year. My mind was certainly quieter. But it made me wonder if I was just running away.

[iris lilies]

"They" are going to do what they are gonna to do. Nothing you can do about it.

[gimmethesimplelife]

If you are overwhelmed by news and it looms large in your life, you do need to take a news fast. There is little good served by hearing all of the news all of the time.I think this is very good advice, IL, and advice I would do well to heed myself. I am a news addict - I will admit this here and now - and since so much of the news is depressing, it's easy to be down these days. I find that a news fast for me does indeed involve some withdrawl and some anxiety and mental itchiness and edginess. It's like I'm afraid something will happen and everyone else will know all the details but me......so why is that such a huge deal if such happens, anyway?

I'm inspired here to at least cut back on my news intake starting the 24 hours starting now.....it is 6:14 AM my time in Phoenix, until tomorrow morning at 6:14 AM. It's not like if something major such as God Forbid another attack happens I can't find out all the gory details tomorrow on youtube, anyway. Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

"They" are going to do what they are gonna to do. Nothing you can do about it.Very true. Another way of saying this is Doris Day's famous song - Que sara sara, whatever will be will be. Rob

[razz]

UA, there is a lot of good news going on that never gets reported. If the only things that you could see were just those that were dark grey and no other colour, life would be stressful. The media reports negative news melodramatically, reinforces it with negative images that embed themselves in your brain and then that is all that you are registering. Yes, there are troubled individuals committing horrible crimes but so many individuals are doing so much good EVERY DAY that no one ever hears about or acknowledges. Choose who you will recognize.

I walk my dog:
- see parents walking their little ones, helping them fly kites, learning how to ride bikes and the huge smiles; youngsters racing on their bikes, guys practicing their basketball moves with determination and laughter
- see friends come together to help a young couple replace their roof, meet their little 9 month old son with his glorious smile
- listen to a friend tell me of the help they are giving their children who are renovating their new-to-them home

Plus,
- seeing a really well-done play
- enjoy my Sonos Play music throughout my day
- tour the greenhouse and see all the effort put into creating baskets of bloom and supplies of lush veg plants to feed ourselves
- ample supplies of food and water all around, orchards and fields growing vigorously
- the Camelot temperatures and rainfall this spring making vibrant growth and colour
- care and courtesy on the roads making the rare silly driver very conspicuous
- meeting my now-retired MD who greeted me at the local supermarket and checked on my well-being as I did his.

UA, there is so much good going on but you have to open the channels to read them. Turn off the negative or control access to them. I check the local news once a day (paper and radio), the national news twice a day (CBC) and international news (Christian Science Monitor and BBC online). Evil has a hypnotic effect, it seems, that is draining. You are in charge!!!

Some good news to consider celebrating about individuals striving to make a big and positive difference.
http://www.csmonitor.com/EqualEd/2017/0521/Reinventing-high-school - education
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2017/0416/The-world-s-greenest-island - green energy alternative
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2017/0401/Sober-high-How-recovery-schools-help-addicted-students - education
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2017/0409/Appalachia-s-new-trail-finding-life-after-coal - employment

[Sad Eyed Lady]

I mostly do news fast. Seldom watch news except the evening world news just every now and then. Being on the Internet I see enough stuff to know what is going on, but to watch for long periods of time, no I don't. I am not insensitive to what is going on in the world, just feel helpless and sad seeing it.

[nswef]

I've been having this discussion with myself! I've always hated the news shows, especially CNN, MSNBC,FOXNEWS with their shouting and moving strips at the top and the bottom and in between to distract and disturb. In Farenheit 451 there was a scene that reminded me of our current 24 hour news addictions...a room with multi media inundating the people in it, not sure what it's purpose was in the book- probably brainwashing and I think it works. I then debate if I am an escapist or just protective of my soul. So, I don't watch those shows, I don't watch the news if I can help it (have a husband who does- but not those 3 above) I read the paper every day and get stuff from Facebook, although I have blocked the rabid posters on both sides. I don't even like to discuss world and national news as there is nothing we can do to change it, so if it is only going to make me fret I'd rather do what Razz does and look for the helpers, the people living their lives pleasantly and kindly. I hate that there are TVs on in every waiting room, doctors or car service....just let us sit quietly!

[Rogar]

To me it's important to keep track of current events through the news. However, I did recently eliminate commercial TV news. I can get all I need to know from online news where I can pick and choose what I read or browse quickly. And public radio. I listen to more music these days. Could be just me, but I am offended by the voice and demeanor of DJT and find it more easy to tack if I just read about it.

Other than that, I don't see any big change in news stories. It's not good to dwell upon. When I really feeling brave I watch Amy Goodman.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I think people confuse maybe 3 things which I have found no ideal solution to but the 3 things are:

1) following news
2) wanting to take opportunities to be involved in having an influence on things/making things better in one's society. This isn't very well served by news at all, I have no idea what it would be well served by, maybe being on an activist mailing list or many, being involved in local or party politics, obviously when a ballot arrives in the mail, that's a notification of one little thing one can do.
3) sheer curiosity about how the world works. this can be met partially by news, only news is broad but shallow here (yes books are a deeper treatment). And this desire to know can get kind of insatiable.

I guess there might be another motive that's strictly personal, of feeling they need to personally protect themselves from whatever is going on in the world, and so they read for threats as it were. There are lots of threats in the world, what can I say, maybe not mostly crime but maybe a threat is investing with Bernie Madoff I don't know, and we can only do so much to protect ourselves from them anyway, in a world where no one else is much going to.

----

There is probably a reason weekly news magazines got started (like Newsweek etc. - not saying they are the best sources out there or anything, but thinking about the concept of weekly news). Because it's probably as much news as anyone really needs for any given week, it to read the news for the week ONCE a week.

[rosarugosa]

I only give the news about a 10 minute online browse daily. I find this works very well for me personally.

[CathyA]

I watch too much news......local and national. But I seem to have this hypervigilence problem and feel it necessary to know what's going on.
As far as the national news, I watch about 1/2 hour in the a.m. and only about 10-15 minutes in the evening. Still.......I do wonder what it would be like to not know what's going on. For some reason, it bothers me to not know.
....especially in these scary times, both locally and nationally.

[HappyHiker]

Yes, I think a news fast is good for our peace of mind. It's hard to achieve, though, don't you think?

I see the headlines every time I turn on the computer. People on Facebook talk about world affairs and politics. The newspaper headlines in the news boxes catch my eye. The TV's at the gym are always on to the news stations.

But I do my best to take a break from the blood and gore and unkindness that humans inflict on other humans--and on other living creatures. And the earth. But golly gee, it's an ugly, brutal world that's portrayed in so many media. "If it bleeds, it leads."

Leads to fear and distrust of our brother and sister humans...maybe that's the point??

[goldensmom]

A news fast is an excellent idea. I’ve done it and need to do it again, it is good for the soul and for perspective. Another thing that I personally need to do is take a ‘fast’ from reading comments on news articles that I read online. Many of the comments are beyond rude, they are contemptuous, provocative often vulgar and are not a good thing to put into my head as it serves no good purpose. I am tempted (the devil made me do it?) to respond but do not as the rational me knows better than add fuel to the fire.


I do watch local news, good information, not skewed, no opinions just what’s happening.