If you quit the news completely it will probably strike you how completely unuseful it really is. It’s actually baffling how most of us think of it as some sort of duty to absorb what’s on the news. If you’re trying to wean yourself off, try newser.com

Josh — News’ effect on mood was the initial reason for quitting. I remember driving to work, playing out imaginary debates with people who wrote the letters to the editor in the paper. Not healthy.

Prayerthegate — I guess that’s one good reason to get the paper

Carole — Hi Carole, welcome to Raptitude. It does seem to carry a certain energy with it, and I don’t want it.

Ian —

His view is that dumbing us down with the media (and choosing what to show us and even then misrepresenting it) is a deliberate policy to get us to accept decisions that we would not otherwise accept (invading Iraq, anyone?).

I think you are absolutely right. Anywhere there is money, there is political influence, it can’t really be kept out.

I recently read a Chomsky book – I don’t remember the title, but it was about the use of propaganda. His view is that dumbing us down with the media (and choosing what to show us and even then misrepresenting it) is a deliberate policy to get us to accept decisions that we would not otherwise accept (invading Iraq, anyone?).

You are right that the only way to experience the world is go out and experience it. And it is huge! Overwhelmingly so sometimes.

Ian | Quantum Learning’s last blog post..Life: powerful and fragile

Wow, I’ve just found your blog.

Loved your article and so very true. I haven’t
read the newspaper or watched the news in
years. I certainly don’t feel any less informed.

The reason I stopped was due to my Feng Shui
background, and the idea of continously filling
my home with the energy of sad depressing
news was not how I wanted the atmosphere
in my home to feel.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Carole

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Part of me feels guilty–am I being a poor citizen by not staying informed? The reality is that 24 hour news networks pretend that there is 24 hours of news to report, when in actuality, they basically scroll through one speculator or abstraction after another.

I buy one drink at a convenience store each day–so far, the headlines on the newspapers have kept me pretty up-to-date.

Ferriss makes one point that made me laugh: ignoring the media gives you a reason to talk to other people. If you don’t know what’s going on in the world, you can always get the cliff notes version by asking someone “what’s going on in the world?” They’ll get to play teacher to your blissful ignoramus and you can still feel like an informed citizen.

I’ll be very interested to see how your feelings on this change the longer you go with it.

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