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After doom-scrolling Covid all through 2020, I stopped reading all news at the start of 2021. I haven’t deliberately visited the home page of a news organisatio
by jen729w 2y ago
After doom-scrolling Covid all through 2020, I stopped reading all news at the start of 2021. I haven’t deliberately visited the home page of a news organisation since.
It’s not a hard ban. I’ll click a link someone sends me, not that people do that. I’ll walk past my partner’s iPad and look over her shoulder. Occasionally I’ll pick up a print edition of the Economist.
But, by and large, I don’t ’read the news’. I can only recommend it. ‘The news’ as published on the majority of sites is mostly crap you don’t care about. Even the reputable sites. And then when it’s some big event that you are supposed to care about, that just makes you sad/angry/whatever.
People say that I’m absolving myself of my responsibility to society. Nah. I vote (I have to, I’m Australian). My vote hasn’t changed in 20 years, nothing I read is going to do that now. And I wasn’t politically active before, so that hasn’t changed.
Just stop reading the news.
- ost-ing 2y agoI don't think disconnecting entirely is the answer. You also vote with your money and attention. I think following and funding credible, solution oriented outlets and investigative journalists that can deep dive into topics is important for holding power accountable, and transforming the social landscape. Australians need to care more about improving society - not just the media landscape but in so many facets. Its not going to fail-forwards for much longer, and the cracks are showing