Why I Stopped Watching The News (And Why You Should Too)

You’ll do well to find TV channels with more regular viewers than news channels.

It seems normal, or the “right thing to do”, to watch the news and stay up to date with what’s happening.

Right? Wrong.

The news, especially mainstream media news, can be:

• Biased

• Negative

• Unimportant/irrelevant

• Unnecessarily damaging (to mental health etc.)

So, I want to talk about why I stopped watching the news, and why you should think about doing so too.

Why The News is So Popular

Watching the news for a few minutes a day is normal to a lot of people, even if you’re just catching the headlines.

It’s something households have done for generations.

If your parents watched the news, you’ve probably got into a habit of doing it yourself.

It feels necessary, and makes you feel mature and adult-like.

Although this is true, I want to dive into the science of why “news” is so popular.

The main reason as to why the news is so popular is because of one fact:

Our brains crave information.

It’s one addiction nobody talks about, largely because it isn’t a problem, but it still exists.

Our brains are in constant desire of new information.

• News.

• Social media.

• Random facts we feel compelled to Google and find the answer to.

That third bullet point… I do that at least once a day. Anyone else?

It could be something as random as looking up:

• The name of an actor.

• The date of a historical event.

• Last nights football score.

No matter what it is, we need the information, and there isn’t a better way this can be taken advantage of, than in the news.

The news can provide us with juicy new information and stories every single day.

Come to think of it… is the news an addiction?

Alright, maybe too far with that one.

Regardless, my point remains.

People love the news because people love information…

Why I Stopped Watching The News

I had a habit of getting into work a little early (train schedule, I really wasn’t a dedicated employee at all) and scanned the latest news headlines to fulfil my brains cravings.

Why?

Because there’s no better way to start your day than to spend a few minutes consuming mind-numbingly depressing news headlines.

That was sarcasm by the way.

It was one of many bad habits I’ve now removed from my life.

But, it was a string of events which occurred from early-to-mid 2022 that really changed my views on the news, and whether I should be consuming this content.

I don’t remember exactly, but things like:

• The beginning of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

• Cost of living crisis.

• The Tory COVID party scandal.

Started to have a serious negative effect on me.

So, I decided to stop my bad habit of watching the news, and I’ve seen some great benefits which I’ll talk about later.

But, for this segment, I want to talk about 2 core factors as to why I stopped watching the news.

It’s Depressing

The news is miserable.

It’s designed this way to make you feel guilty and privileged, even though you’re the ones being shafted by your government.

From:

• The tone of the newsreaders voice.

• The imagery & production.

• The stories themselves.

Everything is negative, and depressing. But, you can’t get away from it easily.

Why? Because your brain craves information.

It’s Out of My Control

I have to be a realist here.

Take the Gaza conflict between Israel and Palestine. A horrific, ugly conflict ruining the lives of thousands of innocent civilians.

Genuinely depressing stuff.

But here’s the thing, what can I do about it?

What do I get from gaining information about a school being bombed killing 25 children?

Nothing.

There’s absolutely nothing I can do about the situation, besides maybe donating money (but even then, I don’t know where it’s going)

So, why bother gaining information that’s only going to impact you in a negative manner?

It’s a harsh reality, but it’s true.

• Murder

• Kidnapping

• Robbery

• Terrorism

I don’t need to know about these things for the two reasons I just mentioned above.

So, I’m going to remove what’s giving me this information from my life:

The news.

Benefits of Not Watching The News

If there’s one thing I’m trying to do more than ever now, it’s protecting my inner peace.

• What I consume.

• Who I associate with.

• The work I do.

And more.

There’s nothing more valuable than this, and I’ve learned that the world truly is how you see it.

If you see:

• War

• Corruption

• Murder

You’ll see a terrible world, because that’s what you’re consuming.

If you see:

• Nature

• Peace

• Friendship

• Love

You’ll see a beautiful world, because that’s what you’re consuming.

Swap consuming the news with the consumption of more positive material:

• Books

• Podcasts

• Funny cat videos — no, I’m not joking.

You are what you consume.

Have you ever heard anyone say, “You are what you eat”?

Well, it’s the same message as what I’m trying to explain here.

The truth is, most, if not all of the information you receive from the news is both unnecessary, and having a negative impact on your life.

Try spending a week, or a month, without consuming the news, and you’ll see benefits to your overall well-being.

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