Avoiding 'The News'
 

I've heard of people who never watch or read world news for one reason or another and I'm wondering if they're on to something.
It's definitely an anxiety trigger for me and was wondering if it might be a good idea to avoid it for awhile.
Has anyone else quit reading or watching the news?

I have no TV, don't read newspapers and the only news I know about is what I hear mentioned here or in my daily interactions with people. I've been doing this for years.

Some people think I'm a little nutty.

I'll own that.

I don't miss it and it does add to my general fear of life to watch the news or read about it. I don't need to know.



*edit to say: Someone PM me if I'm about to be swallowed up by a tsunami or global warming/oceans rising. I think I'm about 70 feet above sea level. :react
Kthxbai

biminiblue, not as far as I am aware!! I admire your non reading of the news as I have got into the habit of reading it every single day and I do find myself becoming more and more depressed about the world and the people on it.....

... maybe I will set myself a challenge to not read it for, say, a month...

I use Feedly and it lets me click and read whatever I want, from within categories I've made. So I can be picky and choosy with it. That helps. I never ever watch tv news if I can help it. We don't do tv at all.

:gaah

For the sake of honesty - I have a TV. It's a 35 inch flat-screen. Takes up half the living room wall. I just can't get any channels where I live without cable. I'm sticking it to the man by not paying $75 a month for crappy TV and commercials.

Netflix all the way. So I do watch TV.

We have a nice Samsung screen but we use it for Wii, Netflix and Amazon. We got rid of Netflix (my husband's idea) and went to Amazon since we are signed up for Amazon Prime and all that... um, no. I want my Netflix back. I love Amazon Prime for the 2 day free shipping, but not fond of the video setup at all.

All I watch is Hulu I really like the documentary section i haven't watch the news are read the paper for years i have severe anxiety disorder even without the drugs and drink so when I did follow the news id read the paper first thing in the morning get really depressed then have a excuse to get wasted.

yeah! I dropped cable months ago - $80/mo saved. It started as a budget thing, but we rarely watched regular tv anyway, except when I first quit drinking.
I just found out 2 days ago there were riots or something in colorado over someone being shot by a cop. I don't miss the news at all. I get my weather when I need it from internet or local AM radio. The rest of the news is garbage to ME.
Netflix supplies our entertainment needs.

I don't have dish or cable. I do watch the local news some. I listen to the news updates on the radio in my office each day.

I was only a couple years sober when, 9-11 happened and spent hours watching it.
I focus only on what, effects me now. We can prepare for bad weather anything else, we have little control over.

I gave up reading the news for a good year for that exact reason. I would scour the stories and end up with panic attacks about the end of the world and all the sh*tty things that could happen to a person at any moment. I just recently started reading again (because I'm obsessed with Ebola) but I can feel those old anxious feelings starting back up.

The problem is I feel like an idiot when people say something like, "Did you hear about what's going on in Ferguson?" and I'm all, "Huh?"

I avoid the news because it causes me anxiety. I worry about the end of the world and things that are out of my control. So I live in ignorant bliss and try to just stick to entertainment headlines.

I read an article about this not long ago.

News is bad for you – and giving up reading it will make you happier | Media | The Guardian

I like watching the news. I like knowing what's going on in the world even if media can't tell the whole story. It's their perception. But what I interpret is my perception right. Actually now that I think of it, isn't everything my/our own perception? We have to be careful to weigh the "truths" we hear. For example the e-bola outbreak. How many do we have in the US? 3? How many people die from heart disease 600,000. That should be enough truth to keep the perspective balanced.

Peace

I haven't watched the news for many years, I don't know how long, due to the negativity/violence/fear portrayed. Anything important will get to me. Otherwise, "No matter."

Three years ago I found out that MSM (mainstream news media) not only doesn't tell the whole story, but the major "events" they push are actually agenda-driven hoaxes. So, why do I want to listen to liars? I don't.

See Here and Here.

If I watch the news, I permit someone else to set the agenda as to what is important and what isn't.

I decline to participate in that kind of submission to someone else's prioritites.

News doesn't make me anxious, though.

To the contrary, it gets me interested and emotionally invested in something over which I have no control.

I don't watch the news because I don't care, or read newspapers or have facebook or any other social media. As long as my little sphere of family and friends is happy then that's all I really care about.

I find mainstream news depressing.
I listen to local radio and occasionally hear about other things, notice the odd headline.
I'm not into all the doom & gloom that certain other people like to spread.
Spread a bit more happiness, I reckon.
It's good to be informed but if I'm that bothered I'll do my research to see if affects me & my family but I prefer nature documentaries!

Driving my wagon of hope through beautiful views on my road to myself

Lately I've been getting most of the news from Twitter. Haven't used Feedly as much. Just can't be bothered with it. Considering New York Times Sunday paper. I know I would never read it daily. Sunday paper might be nice though.

I notice that I can get just as much "real news" down here as I could back in the States. I'm well versed on world events and culture, and it's important for me to keep up on issues that might be relevant to my profession and my lifestyle. That said, I'm happy I don't have to listen to all the political bickering - that part of US and Western media does nothing for me, it only makes me upset.

All that said, I think that managing anxiety isn't about "control", but rather it's about "letting go". You don't have to continue to absorb and inhale everything that triggers you, just try letting go of the things that bother you in your life. If that's news, then turn off the TV. Good luck!

I haven't watched the news since I got sober this time around because it was causing a low grade anxiety. Heck even the weather channel had me sweating bullets! Actually I have turned the TV on maybe 3 times in the past 2 months, its all Netflix and Joe Rogan podcasts for me!