Avoiding the News to Protect your Mental Health

I don't necessarily think its the news matter that causes the anxiety, its the way it is framed. The news as we know is constantly trying to keep people in perpetual fear. The thing is, there will always be a war, a shooting, a scenario involving scenes of death. Its everywhere in the world and the news editors will always find it.

Thats not to say that we should stop consuming current affairs but how you consume it, deeply effects mental health. But a lot of the issue is social media imo, when it started, it was, (or certainly the way I used it) a way to see what family and friends were up. But as it developed, the algorithms have essentially meant its 24hr news in your hand, always there, mixed with brain numbing videos wwhich really serve no purpose, other than keeping your head down, enchamged for hours. Thanks to the algorithm, social media can now show us reel after reel of plane crashes, because we looked at the Air India new story. Its there in our hands 24/7 and its very easy for it to get inside the head.

All that said, the best way to cleanse the mind, is as simple turning off, not just the news, but also the radio and tv as a whole. Watching streaming services or listening to music podcats is key imo. Although the very best way is to put down the technology completely and go outside, listen to the birds and smell the fresh air.

This isn’t a new phenomenon - go back 20 years and more - RTE’s “Morning Ireland” and evening show “Drive Time” were two of the most depressing shows on radio - absolutely no let up in misery and negativity

It didn’t encourage any sort of positivity or “celebration” or focus on the good things and stories happening in Ireland at that time.

It’s easy to switch off- a professor in college many years ago suggested reading the newspaper standing up for no more than 10 minutes a day - he had a point - there’s so much more positive things to focus on in life. It’s not about becoming ignorant about what’s happening in the world- staying properly informed is important with all the misinformation out there- but drowning in a sea of news, much of it either fake or seriously skewed towards whatever agenda, isn’t good on the mind long term

Interesting topic.

For me it's not just the saturation of news that is making people angrier — it's the nature of what people are saturated in. It often isn't a relatively impartial or even just a broad mix of current affairs from different perspectives, but rather what the algorithms have calculated they will be fixated by — and generally that will be things which elicit emotional reaction or feeling in that person, irrespective of whether the content is accurate or verified.

The most powerful of all those reactions is the reassurance of your righteousness. — the reassurance that you are right, others are wrong, your views are good for the world and their views are bad. A Right leaning person is more likely to become saturated online with every piece of content of foreign looking people doing bad things. Left leaning people will find themselves saturated with content massaging their sense of enlightenment and higher understanding of moral and ethical purity.

In both cases, the saturation only fuels a dangerous combination of anger towards others and a sense of infallibility regarding your own views.

I used to check the news multiple times a day. Now it's only a couple of times.

It's all just so much. It's just non stop. Do you guys remember when the news was boring? When everyday wasn't something utterly shocking?

ive seen a lot of changes in ppl since cov1d.

Social media is a deadly silent brain killer - the constant urge ppl cant break away from, that need to keep clicking or swiping, its like a brainwashing fentanyl.

i dont use social apps or facefck so if you do, stay away from them or any other social apps for that matter. And the news if you aint bothered - the same mind corralling and pedaling being spurted by rte so you are missing nothing there either.

I started avoiding the news a few years ago.

I will skim the headlines and pay attetion to something locally.

I might briefly follow the odd murder trial.

I don't get bogged down in it tough. A quick skim of the headlines is all you need. I see no benefit of listening to a current affairs radio show for hours in the morning/evening, then news bulletins and the current affairs show. In general it's the same thing drawn out.

Back at the time of the 2008 crash, I remember the message, 'only listen to the news, once a day'.

As many above have noted it's about, how you consume it also. Having it shoved at you, is the reason I listen/look at little news. I generally read articles from, reliable sources on subjects.

I think it's the ubiquitous nature of news now. It's like everything you turn on is covering something doom-related. The growth of all these media outlets and their business is to continually analyse 24-7. I think it gets too much. Being informed is good but you get saturated these days. The news by its nature is about serious issues and so is negative by-and-large. I agree with the OP that it's better to switch off. This latest conflict (Iran); I'm finding myself losing interest. It's conflict overload!

Edit: also I think the Irish news outlets tend to be very negative. No matter what happens it's given a negative slant. Sarah McInerney with her "gotcha" questions gets pretty tiresome.

Reading crap on here is just as toxic as listening to the news.

Whilst giving up watching the news can be beneficial, it's important to be aware of what you replace that time with.

I check in once in the morning and once in the evening. Keep aware of what’s happening. That’s enough.

I think the worst thing about it all is that it all feels so hopeless. What's the point of donating the odd tenner to UNICEF when that just ends up either rotting or crushed under some tank treads at a border checkpoint?