Cut out the news!

February 6th, 2008          Email This Post        Print This Post

Disclaimer: this may sound like a rant, but perhaps it’s true…

What is this “news” that we all seem so hooked on? Sensational bits of information, 1% of which sort of concerns us, but all of it is an utter waste of time and attention. Even worse, they are generally about theft, murder, car crashes, other people dying, and scandal – hardly the thoughts that a happy, thinking person fills his surroundings with. These desensitize you to violence, and are just plain unhealthy physically and emotionally. Thoughts of violence have the opposite effect of humor – they constrict your blood vessels.
I was ranting about “news” to someone this morning, and just a few minutes ago, he told me that when he was listening to the radio the stories were about: death, death, typhoon that caused death, and lastly, a soccer player – that died. Why would you want to pollute your life and your mind with this? Why would you have these things on when there are any children around? (“Please – think of the children!”)
What’s worse is that many people are so hooked on news that they can’t imagine a day without it. You can get your fix from the newspaper during breakfast, in the car doing errands, on the TV while having lunch, on the internet during a coffee break, or on the radio during dinner, hearing “terrible things” the whole time. Merriam Webster has a definition for addiction that reads: “persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful”. I ask you to prove to yourselves that you aren’t addicted to news. Take off a few days from the media – don’t listen/watch/read news on the radio, TV, or the web. See what it is like. Try spending the time on better things – time with the family, a good book, some soothing music, some meditation, or some things you have meant to do but have been putting off. Good luck!

Similar Posts:

• 4 “S” Words about News
• Review: Supersize Me (DVD/VHS)
• Growth While You Sleep!
• Where Your Emotions Come From (And Why That’s Good News)
• Can’t Figure Out What To Do With Your Life? Explore!
• Caught Unprepared? 3 Tools for Improving Yourself in Any Situation