Stop watching news

[supremeyingyang]

^

News aren't really beneficial to my or YOUR life. I guess that ain't 'News' to you (lol), but I still want to repeat it here once again: Stop watching News. I'm doing this right now. Why? The Information in the news is per definition superficial, pessimistic and not in any way useful. It's a waste of time. See the link at the bottom for more info.

Background

As a highly political and sociological interested person I watched since I was a teenager news. I read magazines, news paper, website and what else have we - across the board. I thought that's what you need to do to be 'well informed', ha, how wrong I was. The general trend however was that I watched less and less of it and after a peak after early 2020 (guess why that was - hmmmm^^) I now decided to stop entirely for a month and then deciding that to do. Why? It won't help me with my life purpose, even worse watching the News is more negative than everything else. I know this now for some years, but failed to give this the proper attention. Now I wanna change it.

What's better?

Does that mean I don't care for the worlds anymore? Hell, no. News are not caring or doing something, 99,9% is just consuming passively negative and useless Information. What do I do instead?

• Switch to deeper sources like textbooks, scientific article or documentaries
• Talk to fellow humans about things that we find important, not the lates this or that (that is forgotten tomorrow anyway)
• Meditation
• listen to Music
• Writing on my own stuff
• Practicing my Rap skills
• ... there is much to do

 

By the way here is an article by the writer Rolf Dobelli exactly on this topic, which you should read: https://www.gwern.net/docs/culture/2010-dobelli.pdf

 

[Preety_India]

Why all caps? 

News is important to people's survival. 

 

[Husseinisdoingfine]

Hmmm… I disagree, just consume it in moderation.

Like, one Newspaper, or Internet Article reading session a week will do. And make sure to have some sort of breaking news alert system you follow just in case something serious happens, like a Twitter account or a push notification series.

https://mobile.twitter.com/AJENews

Staying oblivious to the world around you is not healthy or smart.

But I do indeed agree with you that mindlessly consuming political infotainment YouTubers and twitch streamers is a waste of time and not conducive to anything healthy.

27 minutes ago, supremeyingyang said:

 

• Practicing my Rap skills

Top 10 rappers Eminem was too afraid to diss. When is your album coming out?

[supremeyingyang]

@Preety_India@Husseinisdoingfine

well, that's the neat thing: If something really interesting happens you guys on the forum will report (or whoever I meet on that day). Actually you @Husseinisdoingfine are one of the most dedicated news filterer on the forum, so no wonder you say this because it would contradict all you post. That don't mean it's wrong, to me it's just a distraction which don't mean I revert back to ignorance^^

 

9 minutes ago, Husseinisdoingfine said:

Top 10 rappers Eminem was too afraid to diss. When is your album coming out?

thank you for putting me in a sentence with Em, I stopped making records at age 18 or so. Nowadays I rap just to train my voice, calm my mind or to get pumped up. I re-rap lyrics like Nas 'I can':

"If the truth is told, the youth can grow
They learn to survive until they gain control
Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes
Read more, learn more, change the globe"

or MF Grimm 'Return to Eden'

"watch what you do, babies look up to you
they dress like you, your style they mock
one time you where true, what got into you?
I don't know but it decreased you stock
I'm not a stranger to war, been there before
on this planet I've done a lot"

and KRS One 'The Invaders' is also great..

"How then, can they talk of some border
When they are the invaders?
How then, can they reform immigration
When they invaded their neighbor?"

to quote as a few... never fails to inspire me... puts me always in the right mood and gives me energy.. contrast that with what news gives me... distraction, passiveness and pessimism

[Carl-Richard]

Watching the news is like watching the time(s).

[supremeyingyang]

@Carl-Richard

Can't decide if that's profound, a joke or trivial. Please tell me immediately^^

[Carl-Richard]

21 minutes ago, supremeyingyang said:

@Carl-Richard

Can't decide if that's profound, a joke or trivial. Please tell me immediately^^

Why do you watch the time? To keep up with the world. Why do you watch the news? To keep up with the world.

[Twenty]

News is just a follow up

[supremeyingyang]

4 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

Why do you watch the time? To keep up with the world. Why do you watch the news? To keep up with the world.

the real questions remain:

1. what does 'keep up with the world' mean?
2. depending on the answer to 1: is that really desirable ?
3. are there side effects from 'watching the news' that are not there if I calmly 'watch the time'?
4. Is watching 'the time' desirable?

I guess it's not important what I do as the effects are the same:

a. Watch the Time =>  keep up with the world
b. Watch the News =>  keep up with the world

and it's the desired goal to keep up with the world, then I can watch the time instead of the news and still be good

 

[supremeyingyang]

2 minutes ago, Twenty said:

News is just a follow up

exactly, most likely a follow up to something that was irrelevant in the first place if you ask me from decade long experience

[AlterEgo]

2 hours ago, Husseinisdoingfine said:

And make sure to have some sort of breaking news alert system you follow just in case something serious happens, like a Twitter account or a push notification series.

What good will that do? And what is your definition of 'something serious'?  What news have you ever received that required immediate attention and change of your behavior?  Sounds just like a typical modern-day fear mindset of 'not being in the know'.

[Jodistrict]

I stopped believing the news after the Iraq Invasion.  The mass media, almost 100 percent, supported the invasion and published the government propaganda that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.  All the editorials of the major newspapers were pro invasion and false propaganda was presented as truth.  The US mass media is totally unreliable.  They promote official propaganda and sensationalize everthing else.  They may tell you about an event, but will make a mountain out of a mole hill to attract eye balls and sell advertisement.  And then you have the cable outlets which no longer even pretend to present objective facts but actively advocate for official propaganda of the left (CNN, MSNBC) or the right (FOX news).  Why listen to someone who lies?  Once a liar always a liar.   You will have a more practical and objective view of reality by not watching news.

[Danioover9000]

@supremeyingyang

6 hours ago, supremeyingyang said:

^

News aren't really beneficial to my or YOUR life. I guess that ain't 'News' to you (lol), but I still want to repeat it here once again: Stop watching News. I'm doing this right now. Why? The Information in the news is per definition superficial, pessimistic and not in any way useful. It's a waste of time. See the link at the bottom for more info.

Background

As a highly political and sociological interested person I watched since I was a teenager news. I read magazines, news paper, website and what else have we - across the board. I thought that's what you need to do to be 'well informed', ha, how wrong I was. The general trend however was that I watched less and less of it and after a peak after early 2020 (guess why that was - hmmmm^^) I now decided to stop entirely for a month and then deciding that to do. Why? It won't help me with my life purpose, even worse watching the News is more negative than everything else. I know this now for some years, but failed to give this the proper attention. Now I wanna change it.

What's better?

Does that mean I don't care for the worlds anymore? Hell, no. News are not caring or doing something, 99,9% is just consuming passively negative and useless Information. What do I do instead?

• Switch to deeper sources like textbooks, scientific article or documentaries
• Talk to fellow humans about things that we find important, not the lates this or that (that is forgotten tomorrow anyway)
• Meditation
• listen to Music
• Writing on my own stuff
• Practicing my Rap skills
• ... there is much to do

 

By the way here is an article by the writer Rolf Dobelli exactly on this topic, which you should read: https://www.gwern.net/docs/culture/2010-dobelli.pdf

 

   So true! Abstaining away from typhoid typical news feeds, mostly from tv and sometimes from social media, and I just feel so much better! Old Leo had a video abour this issue, and it's simply put 'garbage in, garbage out'. Basically, whatever you feed you subconscious mind, it thinks is what you really want, and mostly will try to ljne up actions and feelings to fulfill that somehow. I don't like news since I was a teen, and hate it now for robbing me of some of my time and energy to do other more valuable things instead.

   Like you said, doesn't mean a 100% divorce from the world. Instead think like this: 80% time/energy into passion and life purpose, training skils, and 20% other things, including news and breaking news. That's it. Plus, whenever you start feeling too much negative emotions and thinking daily from the news, switch that off until you are settled down.

 

 

[Bando]

Yup I agree with that if theres important enough info it will get to me eventually, now the real challenge is not trapping yourself within an echochamber on youtube and social media 

[supremeyingyang]

8 hours ago, AlterEgo said:

What good will that do? And what is your definition of 'something serious'?  What news have you ever received that required immediate attention and change of your behavior?  Sounds just like a typical modern-day fear mindset of 'not being in the know'.

It's not that there is not useful information; the problem are the negative side effects and the sheer amount of bad news you have to dig through.

 

Here is a story for you all. A super rare story of me benefiting from the news.

Covid-19. In late 2019 little Supreme was new in his programming gig. I read some books about what to do in a crisis. The advice was to watch the news and to prepare. OK! Then some new about a 'chinese virus' came up, that was late 2019. That was something! Watched closely, prepared - even had a pep talk with my family that they should stock some extra groceries. ...Then every unfolded and - I was right! A fucking pandemic. I told my father right to his face: "Do you still think I'm bugging a little bit with with covid virus?" That was a huge pay off, haha.

Happy end. Really? Was to know that 2 months ahead useful? Hm.

I would have heard it a month later anyway but still early enough. If one is permanently prepared for some things you don't have to rush to the supermarket last minute. What was the main outcome? A New-Media addiction in the worst time a develop one, because it was right once^^

@Jodistrict word!

5 hours ago, Danioover9000 said:

@supremeyingyang

   So true! Abstaining away from typhoid typical news feeds, mostly from tv and sometimes from social media, and I just feel so much better! Old Leo had a video abour this issue, and it's simply put 'garbage in, garbage out'. Basically, whatever you feed you subconscious mind, it thinks is what you really want, and mostly will try to ljne up actions and feelings to fulfill that somehow. I don't like news since I was a teen, and hate it now for robbing me of some of my time and energy to do other more valuable things instead.

   Like you said, doesn't mean a 100% divorce from the world. Instead think like this: 80% time/energy into passion and life purpose, training skils, and 20% other things, including news and breaking news. That's it. Plus, whenever you start feeling too much negative emotions and thinking daily from the news, switch that off until you are settled down.

"Plus, whenever you start feeling too much negative emotions and thinking daily from the news, switch that off until you are settled down." That simple advice is worth a lot if done consequently. I noticed I did this in the past and was more calm.

5 hours ago, Bando said:

Yup I agree with that if theres important enough info it will get to me eventually, now the real challenge is not trapping yourself within an echochamber on youtube and social media 

yeah youtube is a beast in itself. I would count scrolling mindlessly youtube also a category like news-media and in fact often there is news media posted between original videos

 

 

[Carl-Richard]

12 hours ago, supremeyingyang said:

are there side effects from 'watching the news' that are not there if I calmly 'watch the time'?

Watching the time can be stressful too.

[supremeyingyang]

@Carl-Richard

if you want to discuss further we can't go further without defining more precise what 'watching news' or 'watching time' is and is not. Other than that we remain on a superficial level without any relevance

Edited February 5, 2022 by supremeyingyang

[Carl-Richard]

21 minutes ago, supremeyingyang said:

@Carl-Richard

if you want to discuss further we can't go further without defining more precise what 'watching news' or 'watching time' is and is not. Other than that we remain on a superficial level without any relevance

It is superficial.

[supremeyingyang]

@Carl-Richard

Whatever, Richie. If it's good for you, I'm fine with it and wish you the best