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News & politics

It’s enough now I’ve got to stop watching the news…

(64 Posts)
Shinamae Tue 20-Sept-22 18:53:30

For my own sanity I have made the decision not to read or watch any news on the television because I am getting very, very stressed about what is going on in the world at the moment… And yes it is burying my head in the sand but I think this is something l need to do..
It will not be easy because as soon as I get up in the morning l put the news on also as soon as I get home from work…?‍♀️

Germanshepherdsmum Tue 20-Sept-22 19:07:22

Just limit what you watch. You need to know what’s going on but in small doses.

b1zzle Tue 20-Sept-22 19:08:02

For years I've avoided the news as it always made me very anxious. However, I've relented over the last ten/eleven days
but now that the Queen's funeral is over, I've gone back to boycotting The News - and although I miss keeping up to date
with everything, I've now gone back to just reading the headlines online.

Urmstongran Tue 20-Sept-22 19:09:56

You have to do what’s good for you. Change your radio station so you wake up to music too.

Mizuna Tue 20-Sept-22 19:25:08

I haven't watched the news on TV for years. I have Classic FM on and occasionally listen to the headlines and glance at the front pages of the papers in Tesco sometimes. I was a journalist, have had enough of it all! Years ago I totally missed the Olympics, had no idea they were happening, and that takes some doing!

AskAlice Tue 20-Sept-22 19:29:27

I decided a couple of years ago to look at the BBC news website instead of watching it on TV. That way I can pick and choose what to read about and avoid all the gloom and doom if I want to. I know the headlines are still there, but I can ignore them if I so choose. Works for me!

Biscuitmuncher Tue 20-Sept-22 19:30:48

I've stopped watching it. I think we are all being fed lies anyway

PerkyPiggy Tue 20-Sept-22 19:33:57

You have to do what is right for you. Your mental health is precious.

Serendipity22 Tue 20-Sept-22 19:35:55

I understand precisley what you mean. It 'got' to me months ago when Russia and Ukraine were constantly on the news, I was waking up all hours to check on my phone the latest news until I said stop to myself and i made a conscientious decision to watch the news once a day.

Maybe you could make that decision to yourself, watch the news far less, whatever you think is best, but limit the amount. I do understand your worry but there is absolutely nothing we can do, all thats happening is that we are making ourselves ill.

Take care thanks

Shinamae Tue 20-Sept-22 20:46:25

Serendipity22

I understand precisley what you mean. It 'got' to me months ago when Russia and Ukraine were constantly on the news, I was waking up all hours to check on my phone the latest news until I said stop to myself and i made a conscientious decision to watch the news once a day.

Maybe you could make that decision to yourself, watch the news far less, whatever you think is best, but limit the amount. I do understand your worry but there is absolutely nothing we can do, all thats happening is that we are making ourselves ill.

Take care thanks

That is the crux of the matter for me, there is absolutely nothing we can do….?‍♀️…I have to stop watching completely because I know if I start reading headlines I will go right into it so I’ve just deleted the news app on my iPad and my phone… when I was younger I never ever watched the news, had no idea what was going on and probably all the better for it…

Kim19 Tue 20-Sept-22 21:01:59

Yes, I've moved away from the news programmes too. I've substituted them with the newspaper reviews. The are scrutinised by different savvy journalists every night on BBC news channel. 2230 & 2330. Much more discernible I find.

Normandygirl Tue 20-Sept-22 21:09:03

That's the problem with the 24hr revolving news cycle now, they have got to fill it with something. even the radio seems to have far more "news" breaks than it did.
Remember when we only had the 6 and 10 o'clock news and a bit of regional stuff after it. No hours of talking heads and experts predicting doom and disaster for us all. I don't remember Reggie Bosanquet treating us all to his views and opinions on the news he was reading either.

Wyllow3 Tue 20-Sept-22 21:32:46

I watch or listen enough to keep abreast with what's happening.
I feel a need to know. But only when it feels right to do so. It sometimes makes me grateful for what we do have here compared with other parts of the world.
I agree the new on I player is a good way in. Not only that but it even -gasp - has good news there sometimes. Sometimes brave people do make the world a better place.

But in a way it has permeated my whole life, as my family was very political and our attention was drawn to what was happening.

Serendipity22 Tue 20-Sept-22 21:56:51

Shinamae
You have to do precisely as you feel is best. You have to be kind to yourself.

flowers

imaround Tue 20-Sept-22 22:23:16

I made this decision back before the US 2016 election. hmm I almost got sucked back in March 2020. It took about a week for me to turn it off.

Now I get top level info and them research more from reliable sources.

Luckygirl3 Tue 20-Sept-22 22:32:38

I am tempted to join you in the sand.....

Kalu Tue 20-Sept-22 23:47:37

The doom and gloom, feeling of helplessness is just compounded when charity adverts appear asking for help for starving children, abused animals, health funding, etc., etc., etc. We can help everyone but are left feeling guilty when we don’t/can’t .

Shinamae Wed 21-Sept-22 00:05:47

Luckygirl3

I am tempted to join you in the sand.....

Please do….

AreWeThereYet Wed 21-Sept-22 08:22:51

Haven't watched TV news for years. I read up on the web. I like to look at lots of sources, and if it's science news I like to look at the original journals where I can rather than reading pop science. The only time TV news is of any benefit is if something is actually breaking news and you want to keep up it, like the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, tropical storms, wildfires in the US or Australia - once it's ongoing you can catch up as and when you want to.

Shinamae Wed 21-Sept-22 08:55:19

Although I deleted all my news apps when I woke up this morning there was a headline about Putin threatening the West on my phone ?‍♀️

Germanshepherdsmum Wed 21-Sept-22 10:14:06

I think it’s important to know what’s going on in the world but you have to accept there are things happening over which you have no control. Worrying about things totally outside your sphere of influence is a waste of life. Scroll on by.

MawtheMerrier Wed 21-Sept-22 10:29:29

The illogicality and injustice of the media gets to me though.
Appalling tragedies hit the headlines, we recoil in horror or reach for our cards to donate for disaster relief, then the next day a Cabinet minister is caught having a bit of rumpy pumpy and the flood or earthquake victims are consigned to the inner pages as if their plight is somehow sorted. Or forgotten.

Norah Wed 21-Sept-22 10:32:04

I watch/ listen to the minimum and read the rest. Reading, to me, is less invasive way of learning distressing news.

Norah Wed 21-Sept-22 10:33:48

MawtheMerrier

The illogicality and injustice of the media gets to me though.
Appalling tragedies hit the headlines, we recoil in horror or reach for our cards to donate for disaster relief, then the next day a Cabinet minister is caught having a bit of rumpy pumpy and the flood or earthquake victims are consigned to the inner pages as if their plight is somehow sorted. Or forgotten.

Quite right.

Germanshepherdsmum Wed 21-Sept-22 10:35:19

A good way of filtering Norah.