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If we go back hundreds of years, to the days of the first newspapers, consuming news had more importance. Financially and health-wise. It probably also gave a g

If we go back hundreds of years, to the days of the first newspapers, consuming news had more importance. Financially and health-wise. It probably also gave a greater sense of belonging and something to talk about. I'm 40 and I cannot think of a single instance where consuming news (the of the moment, ephemeral kind we're talking about here) saved my ass in some way. It never had a direct effect, not even the extra-extra-read-all-about-it! news. News of critical events, the 22/7 (Norway), 9/11, and gas leak type of events, always reached me through a phone call from a friend or relative before I read about it anywhere. And certainly, other types of news, non-critical events kind, was never important enough to hear about right after or during the occurrence. Then again, I'm not a have-to-watch-it-live kind of guy, I can enjoy the replay. Whether consuming the news causes more stress like some studies claim, I don't know, but I certainly think it a waste of ones time. As for having something to talk about, hell, I have more than enough to talk about without knowing what happened in the world the last few moments, or even yesterday. Not consuming this type of news is not choosing to stay uninformed. I read analysis, editorials, history, etc.

JKCalhoun 5y ago
I never saw news consumption for having something to talk about. Obviously as a voting citizen, my vote ought to be informed. If there is something IO should be outraged about, outraged enough to take to the streets and protest about, I want to know about it. Also, for things like the environment, financial health of the country/world, I like to be able to see trends (or think that I do) and am less likely to be surprised by either a positive or negative turn of events in the future. All that being said, I do not need a daily stream of news — something much more coarse than daily would be more than adequate.

JKCalhoun 5y ago

I never saw news consumption for having something to talk about. Obviously as a voting citizen, my vote ought to be informed. If there is something IO should be outraged about, outraged enough to take to the streets and protest about, I want to know about it. Also, for things like the environment, financial health of the country/world, I like to be able to see trends (or think that I do) and am less likely to be surprised by either a positive or negative turn of events in the future. All that being said, I do not need a daily stream of news — something much more coarse than daily would be more than adequate.