Living ignorantly

[Rhiannon]

I've sometimes tried my own news blackout but my addiction to information always wins. But it seems that there are benefits to having a blackout, or at least that there is a disadvantage in having too much information about things that we are powerless to change.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jan/18/my-year-of-living-ignorantly-i-entered-a-news-blackout-the-day-trump-was-elected

[wigginhall]

Yes, we often switch off nasty news stories, or nasty thrillers, as you can have an excess of them.   Obviously, it's a subjective thing.   I have friends who wouldn't know a Rohingya from a radish.

I also remember having clients (in therapy) who were addicted to bad news, and they would feel bad as a result.   Well, I might suggest weaning themselves off it, and they would be incredulous, as if it's a requirement.

[Walter]

I've sometimes tried my own news blackout but my addiction to information always wins. But it seems that there are benefits to having a blackout, or at least that there is a disadvantage in having too much information about things that we are powerless to change.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jan/18/my-year-of-living-ignorantly-i-entered-a-news-blackout-the-day-trump-was-elected

there's a simple method which I use to evaluate news in an attempt to not be affected by it .
I run it through my "giveafuckometer" which is located somewhere behind my eyes.
Generally it works well , it turns out I don't really care that much and genuinely don't understand why others do !
But don't misunderstand me , I have very strong feelings about certain subjects

[floo]

I think it important to be up to date with the latest news, and make up our own minds about it. My husband and I prefer the BBC's offerings to that of any other station. We don't take a newspaper these days.

[Robbie]

I think it is a very good idea to have some period of time without news.  We'd still pick up bits of it as we go about but would not feel so involved, or anxious.  Nice and healthy in my opinion

[jeremyp]

I think it is a very good idea to have some period of time without news. 

Only if you voluntarily give up your democratic rights for a period. You can't possibly make informed decisions at the ballot box without some knowledge of current events.

[Robbie]

That's true, I accept that.  I'll have to carefully time my 'retreat from the world'.

At the moment I feel it would do me good to be totally unaware of a lot of happenings, just for a while.  When I was younger I had a long period of being like that and used to get a lot of mick taken out of me (goodhumouredly), it was all quite natural too, just happened.  I had my mind on some things and head in clouds rest of the time.

[Rhiannon]

I can’t do anything about Donnie deciding to play Armageddon and if an election here happened tomorrow I know which way I’ll vote. Not sure what purpose the news serves me right now other than to make me both angry and fearful.

[Robbie]

Exactly how I feel, Rhiannon.