". . . it’s painful to turn on the news. "
So I read in Willamette Star. This prompted me to comment:
"This is exactly why I stopped watching the news and reading newspapers. Since I did, I've been a much less stressed, much happier person. It's not that I don't want to know what's going on, it's that the news media focus SO much on the bad, depressing, anger-inducing issues in life. I still hear about what's going on, from friends or items floating around the 'net, but without all the lets-get-the-ratings-up/sell-more-copies drama."
I made a conscious decision to stop watching the news about 4 years ago. I realized that every time I did, I would get physically stressed and emotionally depressed. I would sometimes feel angry for hours after, and occasionally I'd break down and cry.
When I finally became consciously aware of the problem, I stopped and asked myself why it was so upsetting. Was there something wrong with me? Was I just a basket-case? I found out that no, it wasn't me, it was them. Good news doesn't get ratings, or sell papers. At least not like bad news does. Sure, every once in a while they throw in something uplifting, like a good sports score or a local hero saving a child, but for the most part it's all about people and situations being horrible, scary, evil, and generally unpleasant.
When I stopped watching, I became a better person. I'm definitely happier, I like people better on a day-to-day basis, and I don't have such a bleak view of humanity in the large sense. Sure, I occasionally miss out on some big story, but it's definitely worth the price!
What is your news program talking about tonight?
