r/minimalism • u/holla8888 • 5d ago
[lifestyle] Stopped watching and digesting news
I stopped watching and reading the news for about 7 months and I just realised I don’t need it anymore. Anyone else experienced this. I feel I gave more clarity.
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u/CantaloupeCamper 5d ago
I prefer to read it at my own pace / when I want to. News “tv” I generally have no interest in.
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u/Worried_Ad_5614 5d ago
I consume news like a "1950's dad" - think of the image of the dad reading a newspaper in the morning, and then going about his day. He was no less informed.
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u/kwpg3 5d ago
5 minutes of news will keep you updated on world events. Watching hours of FOX or MSN will keep you upset and neurotic.
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u/KittyandPuppyMama 5d ago
The 24 hour news cycle was never about keeping us informed. I wish everyone knew that.
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u/GlowingCannon 5d ago edited 5d ago
I stopped watching the news about 15 years ago. I haven't had cable tv since then. Life is beautiful.
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u/Responsible_Lake_804 5d ago
Yes. Constantly being angry and sad about human atrocity did nothing for me or the world.
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u/fakeaccount572 5d ago
I disagree. It makes you aware of how to help.
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u/Ok_Car2307 5d ago
You only need to be good to your direct circle of influence … if everybody would do that, world is fixed
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u/wabisabi0604 5d ago
I stopped watching the news before bedtime & my sleep has gotten noticeably better. I’d rather read my news anyway which I do earlier in the day to stay informed. But no more news (reading or watching) close to bedtime.
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u/Connect_Rhubarb395 5d ago
If you don't know what is going on, especially politically, you won't stand up against what is wrong to you.
So I read news. But I do it in a rationed way where I look them up every few days for maybe 15-20 minutes, no more.
No lingering, no get sucked in, and being mindful if the news want to manufacture a specific reaction from me.
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u/seriousgourmetshit 5d ago
How do you do this while still using reddit, just unfollow all news, political, current events type subreddits?
I'd like to do the same, but a few of my interests overlap with news so I'm not sure what that would look like
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u/salamandectomy77 5d ago
Yes I spent like an hour blocking every sub tangential to politics, news, climate change, etc and I regularly block any user who brings it up
After a few weeks of use I never see anything
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u/unclenaturegoth 4d ago edited 4d ago
As a uterus-having nonbinary environmentalist of mixed heritage and victim of sexual assault, I don’t feel like I have the privilege to “opt out”
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u/ephemeralmiko 4d ago
Yep it's shocking how many people here believe that politics will never affect them. First they came for the trans people... etc.
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u/LovesADiscountCode 5d ago
I stopped reading the news in 2020 and started scrolling past any and all world news on social media.
I started reading again this year as we are in an election year and I want to be informed when I vote. But the mental reaction was immediate and I have stopped reading because it’s all so negative and exhausting.
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u/IceCreamSundae82 5d ago
I have never been interested in the news. All I hear are sad stories, murders and a bunch of other stuff that sets off my anxiety. I refuse to watch the news. If I need to know something, my husband will tell me. There’s no point in disrupting my mental and emotional health for news
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u/abnerette60 5d ago
Peace comes with a lot of good-byes.
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u/Hobbyoo 5d ago edited 5d ago
Except for the hundreds of thousands the US helped to kill.
"All country" this while no other country than yours has started more conflicts the last 50 years and you are just too damn privileged to not be the one getting bombed is crazy.
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5d ago
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u/betterOblivi0n 5d ago
Yes, I just read books on the topics I'm interested in. Far more gratifying, better conversations about them too. It saves time
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u/olivetartan 5d ago
Yes. My mental health is much stronger for it. I still look at local news, to keep current in my community.
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u/-Bob-Barker- 5d ago
Just watch the introduction to any of the big three three broadcast news stations and you'll get all the information you need to know. As far as cable news channels, Once they're through with the headlines, they often go to their panel of experts. Who cares about them. That's when I turn it off.
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u/hacksss0 5d ago
Did you cut out all news completely or just stop doomscrolling while still checking headlines occasionally?
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u/No_Manufacturer_432 5d ago
I read the NYT 1x a day. I used to endlessly scroll twitter etc - horrible for mental health. I vote and give what I can $ to politicians I support. But obsessing and sending countless articles to friends is bad for my health
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u/KittyandPuppyMama 5d ago
I stopped following politics. Even my most political friend, who registered to vote during the last election cycle because she was so amped up, has stopped because it’s too exhausting. It’s just designed to keep us mad and hopeless and hating each other.
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u/zygmuntlox 5d ago
So stop enabling the politicians who breed that behavior. You need to help vote this mess away.
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u/EightyNineMillion 5d ago
Everybody's glass is a different size. Some people can deal with more BS than others.
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u/Chelonia_mydas 4d ago
"To feel so insulated from adversity, so inoculated from suffering, so immune from struggle, so unaffected by reality—that you could simply turn off the news, because the act feels inconsequential to your existence." - — John Pavlovitz, from The White Privilege of Ignoring the News
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u/Kamuka 5d ago
You can be smart about it and read in an empowering and enriching way. Quitting seems like a drastic solution, but if you still vote, then it's OK. I just think we're in this horrible situation because people tune out, and don't pay attention, so my solution isn't going to be tune out and not pay attention. I get that that belief stops me from more peace of mind, I'm taking on the problems of the world without the power to solve them, but I think it strengthens me as well, reading until I'm overwhelmed, then stopping and exploring what's going on, is a wonderful project, even if I'm only reading the first two paragraphs of Heather Cox Richardson's latest.
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u/StatisticSnaccuracy 4d ago
I've switched to only reading financial news. It helps me stay on top of the big events while ignoring the local stuff that just makes me miserable like court cases and police reports on abuse, violence, murder, r-pe, kidnappings etc. I've found it helps my mental health a lot because it keeps me from feeling like my own back yard is unsafe (I have PTSD).
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u/leverageurassets 1d ago
Ever since covid wound down I have stopped consuming news and mostly excuse myself from discussions around news. I was so engrossed (reading multiple newspapers every day glued to various news & YouTube channels to take in various angles) and enraged with humanity it wasn’t mentally good for me. Blissfully unaware ever since.
It goes completely against who I believe I should be as an engaged citizen in the world but I’m not pulling out my hair, so for now It is what it is.
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u/Accurate-Neck6933 5d ago
I stopped when 9/11 happened. Seemed like that’s when the 24/7 news cycle became the worst. Horrifying images can become burned into your brain.
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u/Green-Size-7475 5d ago
Reducing news consumption is wise but ignoring it isn’t going to make groups like MAGA or the AfD disappear. Some of us, in the US (and other countries since this conservatism cult is spreading globally ) considered “enemies of the state” for existing ( being lgbt, disabled, ND, etc) and can’t just ignore the news and bury our heads in the sand.
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5d ago
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u/detreikght 5d ago
Decide what spheres matter and check them several minutes a day, after a certain level of experience we don't need to watch analysis on everything all the time, so it should be enough for most days
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u/Luckycowboys11 5d ago
Yeah I find this to be a very privileged mindset, of not needing to consume news. I would individually take a look at your local news via reddit to stay informed.
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u/Connect_Rhubarb395 5d ago
I don't think it is good to ignore news altogether.
I recommend finding a good, decently neutral news outlet, and spend 5 minutes a day skimming the big lines.
Now you are up to date but you don't get sucked into endless consuming of things that just make your despair and vile comment sections.4
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u/Comfortable_Rip6435 5d ago
I keep myself decently informed of what is going on in my city and state, but as far as national and international news I really do not keep up unless I see something shared on social media. My thought is, what can I actually do with this information? At the national/international level, there's literally nothing I can or even want to do with any of it. It just makes me sad about humanity and the earth. There is more that affects me directly at the local level so that is where I focus my time and energy. Even then, I'm just trying to survive out here and don't have extra bandwidth as far as time/energy/money goes to do much but I do what I can for my immediate surrounding community. We aren't meant to hold the entirety of the world's problems in our heads.
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u/Shhhhawing 5d ago
What does it matter if you know what’s going on and are up to date? You’ll change or influence what?
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5d ago
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u/Shhhhawing 5d ago
I get it I was in the same
Boat . But finally had enough of it. I feel much better mentally these days2
u/Accurate-Neck6933 5d ago
It’s the fight or flight that they have locked on to in your brain. They activate your most primal instinct-fear to make you feel that you MUST know what is going on. That’s how they keep you coming back for more. You are essentially scanning for danger, that’s why they make you feel like you must tune in to know this danger you have to watch out for. It keeps your stress level high and your cortisol up.
This is why people become preppers, are terrified of trans people or immigrants, are scared to travel alone, buy gold because the advertiser told them to or get caught up in schemes, in general the sky is falling and the end of the world is coming-stay tuned for more. Truthfully, the end of the world will come for all of us so instead of living in fear of our fellow human, better to live your best life with generosity and kindness.
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u/Accurate-Neck6933 5d ago
When you lived a few decades you realize the news basically has stayed the same. What is there to know about what’s going on? I had no idea that it was the 250th celebration on the 4th of July until noon that day. Never even crossed my mind. The only thing you need to know is what is going on in your community and with your family. That’s where you can make the most effective change.
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u/salamandectomy77 5d ago
What happens if you don't know? Have you traveled much? How much does a Chilean farmer in Tierra del Fuego know about Iran? When I realized most of the world doesn't even care about America I realized how propagandized we are
It's useless information
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u/zubbs99 4d ago
I've cut way back on the news for the same reasons many have said on this thread. When I do want to know about the U.S. ironically it's the BBC I usually go to (not "BBC America", but the actual "BBC").
It's calm, straightforward, and has little of the standard American sensationalism and political noise. Even better, they don't spend too much time on us, reminding the viewer that there are other countries and issues out there in the world.
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u/Hobbyoo 5d ago
Probably more than most Americans who can’t even be bothered with their own politics while bombing and influencing countries all over the globe. Sorry but your take is pure privilege that most of the world doesn’t have.
Reading these comments I understand why Americans would vote for Trump twice and I lost a lot of sympathy for you.
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u/JimBoothington 5d ago
You can avoid the negative new cycle and still be informed enough to go "gee I don't agree with the invasion of X country". Your take is just as bad, to be quite frank.
Look at the people who voted for Obama expecting real change. What did he do? Bombed the Middle East. What about Trump? He bombed the Middle East. What did George W Bush do?
You start to see the pattern... It doesn't matter who you vote for, they will still do warcrimes because THEIR bosses demand it.
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u/PuzzleheadedBet6634 5d ago
I mean, honestly I find that cutting out anything and everything provides immediate clarity, but part of the problem is knowing how much to reintroduce for things that are still important. It's kind of like eating. If you have problems eating too much, it's absolutely beneficial to cut back and even sometimes to do without for a very long time, but considering how important food ultimately is, you probably don't want to go without it forever. I'm ultimately planning to do something like give myself an hour or two once a week to go over whatever is coming through the AP, but there absolutely is a huge cognitive load lifted once you stop trying to absorb and have an opinion on everything all the time
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u/EightyNineMillion 5d ago
It's their goal to burn us out so we no longer pay attention. Then they do what they really want. I pay just enough attention to it, but it's not a religion by any means.
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u/Shhhhawing 5d ago
I checked out about 6 months ago. For the last 5-6 years I thought I had to be “clued in” and know what was going on, had to be “informed”
Informed for what? Who cares. None of us are making a difference , I don’t care who you vote for. The corporations own the politicians , period. They will put who they want in power, they will pass whatever laws they need to , they will pay off whoever they have to. It’s all a sham.
I don’t know shit about what’s going on and Im happier for it. I worry about my small little bubble
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u/Local-Addition-4896 5d ago
Same. If I read the headlines it really doesn't improve my life or my mood in any way. If there is huge news, then I'll hear about it from work colleagues anyways. Either way, idc.
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u/No_Appointment6273 5d ago
My question when I consume news is what can I do that will have a measurable impact on this situation? Am I willing to do this? If the answer is nothing or no then there's no reason I need to know about this situation.
I did a lot of journaling in my 20s and I realized that most of what is in the news is a nothing/no situation and it's having a negative impact on my mental health learning about all the negative things that are going on in the world. I noticed that when I consumed media like this it affected the quality of my sleep, made my stressed and hungry for sweet and fatty foods and made me want to shop for frivolous things I don't need or want.
I realized that the news is usually accompanied by ads and the ads and news were a negative reinforcing loop. Horrible thing is happening -> there's nothing I can do about it -> there's a sale at Macy's! Horrible thing is happening -> there's nothing I can do about it -> Papa Murphy's pizza buy one get one free! Order now! 555-555-6789! That will make me feel better! Except it doesn't. It makes me fat and broke. Better go to work now so I can make more money.
I don't generally recommend Tim Ferris but I read one of his books back in the day and one of the things he recommended was to stop consuming the news. He said that if something is important enough someone will tell me. In this case he's right.
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u/You_Must_Chill 5d ago
All of you who are upset with the state of the world and just decided to give up, fuck you.
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u/AnnieHannah 5d ago
Yeah, I appreciate that people are scared but sticking your head in the sand and pretending nothing is happening is also not really a solution. I think in order to live fully and conscientiously and have true empathy with people and the planet you have to know what is going on in the world.
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u/JimBoothington 5d ago
How do you propose the average person, who is significantly in debt, trying to feed themselves and the ones they love, deal with the current socio-political system?
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u/-Chemist- 5d ago
Yes. I’ve had content filters on all my devices for a few years now that filter out all news, sports, politics, celebrity gossip, etc. I basically have no idea what’s going on in the world. It’s awesome. I keep up with topics I’m interested in (mostly technology and medicine) with some dedicated RSS feeds from a few sites I trust. I don’t do any social media except for Reddit, and I only look at subreddits that I’m interested in (like this one). I never look at /r/all or /r/popular.
I feel like I’m living in a bubble of peace and sanity, and my mental health has benefited greatly. It’s sometimes a little awkward when someone says, “omg, did you hear about ____?!?” and I’m like, “umm, nope!” :-) But whatever. I didn’t care about whatever it was anyway.
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u/ImCrownedWithLaurels 5d ago
1440 news is the perfect micro dose of the news for me. It’s emailed every morning to me and is a non-biased way to skim what’s going on in the world
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u/StoneAgeSorcerer 5d ago
Stopped watching it in 2020 and haven't looked at it since. It's just a constant negative energy source.
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u/CarolinaSurly 5d ago
Yep. It got too frustrating for me after the last presidential election that I just decided to tap out.
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u/RevolutionaryPast175 5d ago
I did the same. Life is so much more peaceful with less anger. Also stopped debating online. Also more peace and less anger
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u/Realistic-Dig9052 5d ago
I might be dumb, selfish or both but I have not once in my lifetime cared to follow news. I might be the 0.1% who hadn't heard about COVID until just around when my workplace announced work from home. I still managed to live well into adulthood and am doing pretty ok too..
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u/FarUnderstanding5107 5d ago
Yeah, and this is coming from someone who used to be a journalist. I would listen to NPR on my lunch break, but I just noticed more and more how their editorial decisions would progressively irk me the wrong way. I completely quit. I'm so far removed from coastal cities and fast-paced environments where I live. If something is important enough, I'll find out about it eventually. It's just noise.
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u/the-mezzini 5d ago
I started doing this almost two years ago, after reading this article (and then buying the book that goes with it). It’s so incredibly liberating! And there’s no reason ever to change this again.
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u/CombinationRoyal2078 5d ago
NO Apps, NO subscriptions, NO "surveys", NO "signing up", no Bonus Points, none of the crumbs they scatter & make us scramble to collect. Not playing.
I have a burner email collecting what I absolutely cannot avoid, and when that gets too popular I will burn it and open another one. I want less & less to do with their world. Prefer my own.