Skip to content Drowning in daily news? Consider a break. Simplifying your news consumption can declutter your mind and enhance your daily life. This article delves into why and how you can stop reading the news, offering practical insights without overwhelming detail.
The Lure of News Consumption
I had a recent conversation with a friend regarding the benefits of reading the news. While I acknowledge the numerous benefits, such as fostering connections with others, understanding global affairs, and simply staying informed about our surroundings, for many individuals, the drawbacks may still surpass these advantages. I realized that the tendency to consume news can be compared to our craving for sugar. While sugar provides instant gratification, news stimulates us with its fleeting nature.
Mass media with its abundance of information also has a strong influence on shaping our thoughts and providing the groundwork for future thinking processes. This excess can lead to “information overload” which creates more distraction than enlightenment. The bombardment of information becomes more noise in our life’s daily journey. Often I think about what small goal I want to accomplish each day. This might be putting the kids to bed early, or being productive at work, or making a good and healthy meal for the family. How does consuming news help with my goals for the day? The short answer is that it doesn’t, and in fact it is a distraction. The news is in fact the meat of what makes my phone addictive.
The Role of Mass Media
Venturing into the realm of mass media reveals its intricate nature. Although information is considered to be its main goal, often profit takes precedence and leads to a mismatch between incentives and purpose. The result is news that is entertaining. In this regard, news outlets resort to sensationalism in order to capture fleeting moments of our attention. Who like boring news? It’s the exciting stuff that people care about. So yes it is informative, but is the really the reason you consume it? I realized for me information is the byproduct of my desire to be entertained.
So then are we consuming news or is the news consuming us? Are we becoming dependent on our need to be entertained? To be honest although reading the news is informative and important, it’s also enjoyable. There is a bit a dopamine kick whenever I read something interesting. Perhaps because of this, news media has an elusive grip on me, it has my attention.
The Dark Side of News: Anxiety, Fear, and Polarization
While news consumption is informative, it can also provoke negative emotions such as fear, irritation, jealousy, anger and self-pity. These feelings have a significant impact on our mood. In fact, regular exposure to news can expand our area of concern, which leads to increased anxiety levels. We are communal beings. We are not isolate entities floating on our individual island. A story about some tragedy opens the possibility of that same tragedy happening to you. Or a threat of a disaster, albeit probabilistically small, may be amplified in its entertaining coverage. This presumed threat can bolster our fears.
My wife’s news feeds are bombarded with tragic story after tragic story. She is gravitated towards those click bait headlines that tout impending doom. Although this may be an example of the chicken or the egg, which came first, her feed does little to help her acknowledge anxiety.
Negativity Bias
The tendency for unpleasant information and experiences to overshadow the positive, known as negativity bias in news reporting, results in a skewed worldview. This phenomenon is perpetuated by media outlets’ inclination towards highlighting negative events and stories, shaping their audiences’ perceptions.
News can lead individuals to develop an inaccurate perception of risk which may not align with actual risks. This inclination can be explained by humans being more physiologically affected by negative news stories and having a natural focus on pessimistic occurrences or emotions over optimistic ones. The question arises whether our constant consumption of such biased news content has conditioned us to view the world negatively. Perhaps you’ve noticed that when you read a lot of the news, you are not as optimistic about the world. Is this a correlation or causation. Perhaps self reflecting on this would be beneficial.
Becoming a Mindful News Consumer
In our quest to stay informed, we should aim to become mindful news consumers. Confirmation bias, the tendency to solely consume news that corroborates our pre-existing beliefs and attitudes, can affect news consumption by swaying the selection of data, sources, and evidence presentation. To counter this, one should:
Acknowledge the presence of confirmation bias within oneself
Actively pursue diverse and credible news sources
Assess evidence that disputes existing beliefs, rather than merely seeking affirmation.
When we read news, we should approach it as a judge listening to an argument, seeking the facts and data that are irrefutably true on both sides of the argument. But how can we ensure that our news consumption habits are benefiting us and not causing harm?
Challenging Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias is a type of cognitive distortion where individuals tend to seek out information that supports their pre-existing beliefs or biases. This often results in actively seeking and interpreting news that aligns with one’s own views, while disregarding opposing perspectives.
It is important for us to recognize the existence of valid opinions on both sides of any news story. By doing so, we can challenge our natural tendency towards one-sided thinking. In order to avoid being divided by superficial aspects of current events, it is crucial for us to approach what we read with caution and discernment.
Focusing on Local Issues
With the overwhelming amount of news from around the world, it is easy to overlook local issues. These issues directly impact individuals and can greatly affect their daily lives. Some examples include poverty, inequality, discrimination, exploitation, depression, violence, substance abuse, genetic predisposition for diseases, and lack of knowledge about healthy nutrition or skills for preparing nutritious meals.
By consuming local news content regularly, this can foster a sense of community by providing exposure to diverse perspectives that promote understanding and empathy amongst residents. Additionally, it offers crucial information specific to one’s own community, which encourages civic engagement and involvement among its people.
The Benefits of Reducing News Consumption
More Time for Personal Growth
Limiting the amount of news we consume each day can potentially free up precious time for personal development. This is because reducing news consumption leads to increased productivity and less information overload, allowing more time for self-improvement activities.
To create space for personal growth, cutting back on news intake has a positive impact on mental health by decreasing stress related to constant media exposure and limiting our exposure to disturbing or traumatic news stories that can harm our well-being. With this in mind, it is important to consider how we approach consuming the news.
Be aware. But don’t be consumer
Developing a general understanding of culture without using it as entertainment can lead to more mindful news consumption. Rather than simply absorbing information, actively engaging with cultural content through note-taking, discussions, and participation in related activities can result in deeper comprehension.
It is important to be cautious and discerning when consuming news so that we are not passively influenced by its messages. To align our approach towards news with our faith values, making thoughtful choices about what we read becomes crucial.
Know the news to be of the world, but don’t be in the world
It is crucial to recognize the significance of keeping up with current events in order to stay informed, but it’s also important not to let news consumption consume our lives. In order to strike a healthy balance between staying informed and avoiding being overwhelmed by the media, Christians can employ these strategies:
Be selective about which news sources they follow, understanding that credibility varies among different outlets.
Seek out diverse perspectives from various sources rather than relying on one source alone.
Approach consuming news as an opportunity for learning and gaining understanding instead of forming judgment.
Summary
In summary, our habits of consuming news have a significant impact on both our mental well-being and how we view the world around us. While news can be informative, it is important to consider potential biases and the psychological effects of excessive consumption. Limiting news intake can benefit one’s mental health and personal development amidst today’s complex media landscape. As responsible individuals navigating through this world, may we strive to consume news with discernment, stay informed, and fulfill our responsibilities as consumers in society. Now cutting out the news may not be realistic for you, but I hope we all become more wise with our consumption of it.
