YOU DON’T NEED TO WATCH THAT MUCH NEWS You will never have the political power to do something about all the terrifying problems we wave at you. The human brain

YOU DON’T NEED TO WATCH THAT MUCH NEWS You will never have the political power to do something about all the terrifying problems we wave at you. The human brain just isn’t designed to take in a whole world’s worth of disturbing news. Most of us have enough trouble with the more mundane problems of finding inner peace and securing happiness for our loved ones. We know this, but keep winding you up anyway. In fact, the tension between the sheer quantity of horrifying news and your real-world impotence to do much about it is part of our consumer strategy. #We create the illusion that being informed is a kind of action in itself#. So to wash that guilt out—to eliminate the shame and discomfort you feel over doing nothing as the world goes mad—you’ll keep tuning in. The “You don’t actually need to be watching this all day” rule would be true even if news stories were sorted logically and according to social importance. They aren’t: Taibbi, Matt. Hate Inc. (p. 137). OR Books. Kindle Edition.