A lot of the news out there seems pretty bleak right now, making the concept of ignoring it all seem pretty enticing. With all of the obvious danger and political strife out there, it might seem irresponsible, but for your own mental wellbeing, it might be worth a try. Here’s how you can benefit from tuning out, and how you can do it responsibly.
The benefits of ignoring the news
First off, you’ll feel better. The news tends to focus on the dramatic, and although there are exceptions (Covid), most of it has no immediate chance of affecting us.
Secondly, you’ll find you have time for better things. Most of the things in the news act more as a form of entertainment than anything useful in your daily life. If you spend less time on news, you can spend more time with loved ones, work on a project, or simply read or watch more entertaining and fulfilling content.
Third, you’re actively putting a stop to a harmful addiction. Most news content is produced to be exciting, sensational, or outrageous. Regardless of the content of the news, it elicits chemical reactions in your brain to make you want more of it, even if it has no value to you.
That being said, the whole reason we have a news industry is so that you know of important events in the world, and can make informed decisions in your life. So how can you stay informed while ignoring the chaff?
Responsibly staying informed
If you’re in the gambling industry, you should of course visit CalvinAyre.com everyday for the latest stories and best perspectives on the industry. That’s a good rule for any professional or hobbyist: stick to the news that’s important to you.
In the same vein, cut yourself off from TV news. CNN, MSNBC, Fox News all sensationalize stories and make “Breaking News” out of minor events to keep you hooked and watching. But if you take a step back, you’ll realize that 99% of their content is rehashing news you could have learned about in two minutes, and providing worthless talking head segments.
Turn to newspapers, newsletters, and other periodical formats. These mediums make it easier to pick out the stories that matter to you and ignore the rest, and do a better job at summarizing the most important points of the news than any video format. We try to provide this service in our own way with Press Release and new slot announcement roundups throughout the week.
For the most important pieces of news, like when a Covid vaccine might be available to you, subscribe to the source. Don’t wait for the news to tell you something when you can find out from the source. I personally started doing this to learn about school cancelations a few years ago and saved myself the middle man.
Finally, I’m not one to often quote great minds, but Eleanor Roosevelt told no lie when she said “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” Next time you watch the news, consider how much of it covers the events and people, rather than something more meaningful.
