Why I Stopped Watching the News

image credit Here are the main reasons I've heard that people watch the news:
"I have to watch the news. How else would I know what's going on in the world?""I don't want to be ignorant. Plus, it's a good conversation starter at social events." "Watching the news is just what I do. I get up, make the coffee and turn the news on. It's part of my morning routine." When I was a kid my grandparents and parents would "discuss the news" around the dinner table on Sundays. I hated that time so much. This wasn't nice news like, "Did you hear cousin Jimmy got a new job?" No, it was a rehashing of all the rape, torture, kidnapping, murder and animal abuse in our state and other far-flung locations. 

My grandmother was an excellent cook but I remember on more than one occasion leaving the table feeling nauseous. And it wasn't from the food.  "But we need the news."  I agree. But we don't need to a) start our day off with mounds of depressing and awful stories, b) spend more than 10 minutes watching for highlights or c) waste our energy dwelling on all the crappy things in the world. 

Most news is a time suck and a positive energy drain. 

I haven't watched the news, purposefully, in several years and I don't believe I'm missing a thing. Social news? If I don't hear about it first-hand on Facebook than someone tells me in passing. There's also this unique thing called a phone. I use that sometimes. 

National and world news? I hear this occasionally on the public radio station or while in a store. If there's some terrible crime, I'm sure to hear about it 10 times more than I want to anyway, as it's discussed at the gas station or out with friends. I keep up to date on the great things that organizations like this are doing in other ways. 

News, for the most part, is not a positive thing. Reporters have learned over time that fear drives readers so that's what newspapers and TV stations tend to focus on. Some news outlets though, make it a priority to focus on positive things happening in the world . Besides, the more time I spend passively watching the news, the less time I have to make things happen in my own life . 

If you love watching the news and feel that you get a lot of positive things from it, I'd love to hear your point of view. Please leave a comment here or chat with me on Facebook or Twitter .