this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2023
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That's may be true for you, but a lot of these type sites are a great source for news and information about the world. Ignorance is bliss as they say, but the world keeps spinning whether or not you pay attention to it. I'm not saying you HAVE to get news from social media, but that's what I primarily use it for.
If it doesn't cause you to act, then the news is just entertainment
Covid vaccines made available was the last news that actually changed my behavior. That was like years ago. The rest is just entertainment written to make people scared and angry
Bullshit. Responsible news consumption is how we make informed decisions about the world. It's a critical part of any democracy which is why Burke called it "the fourth estate."
That sounds like a ‘you problem’. I change my behaviors and my attitudes accordingly based on what I intake and digest. When McCain first ran against Obama, he was a moderate with decades of experience who had seen the dark side of war and wouldn’t thrust us into one senselessly.
Thanks to the news I saw the rapid conversion of a formerly moral politician into someone who would say anything for power.
When the situation in Maui came up I donated as I have in the past to people affected by disasters.
Should you assume information that doesn’t affect you personally is irrelevant or are you willing to step down from your Main Character title card?
You get a lot of information, but it isn't news relevant to your life. It's information meant to upset and disturbing you so that you pay attention to it, not because it's a threat to you, but because then the website can get paid for pushing advertisements for products you don't need under your eyeballs.
Give it a shot for a month or so. Stay off social media, only use direct contact communication with your friends and loved ones. Instead of news, talk to them about anything else. The world indeed will keep spinning, but you don't need to know to worry about every little turn. It'll be in the same place when you're done with your break and your observation of it won't change the trajectory.
Sorry but I don't have the ability to stop caring how the world is doing
Sorry in advance for the unsolicited advice, but if you’re a news junkie (like me), try out an RSS feed reader (Feedly, Inoreader, Newsblur is a FOSS option).
You get to bypass the comment section of social media while still being aware of what is going on around you. I use Ino because it’s cross platform. It makes it super easy to subscribe to anything from Nature to Vogue to my local news affiliate, and it has a trending section, as well as curated groups for hobbies/interests and your work industry as well.
You don’t have to stop caring about the world in order to live without social media.
Nah you're right, but I'm always curious what people think too haha
Oh I totally understand, I’m the exact same way. But lately looking at social media comments is the equivalent of taking +1000% psychic damage.
I understand, good luck with it and I hope you can find peace of mind later in life.
If you have the opportunity, you might wanna try fishing. It's a great way to step away from the information overload and just enjoy what's around you. It's cheap and accessible, as long as you're near water, and it's quite rewarding to spend a few hours casting away in nature.
I've considered fishing, but the equipment is expensive, and all the closest locations are pretty far. When I need to chill I just play a game or go for a smoke.
Well, location can be tricky, that's for sure, but they sell some pretty cheap rod and reel combos that are great for trout fishing for around $20-$35 that'll get you going pretty quickly. Other than that, you just need a lure, or a bobber and hook, all of those are gonna be around $5 total, and some bait. Digging for worms after it rains is pretty easy, even grabbing bugs on location is a great way to get bait!
I'll bring something to smoke with me, usually, too. It's a nice combo. Or a cooler with some crisp beers inside, great way to spend an afternoon or early morning.
I appreciate the concern and know about the potential negative consequences. But with all due respect, you don't know me or the type of news I seek out or how I feel about it. I prefer to know what's going on around me and the world so I can work towards making impactful changes. That doesn't mean everyone else has to but it works well for me.
Social media is for social interaction. There are better alternatives for news. I'd rather invest some money in good journalism than picking relevant news in the flood of garbage click and rage bait articles. There is also good, free of charge journalism out there. For example the guardian
This is so honestly so true. Once I moved my news sources onto an RSS app and left my social media interactions for my hobbies or catching up with people my pessimism decreased dramatically.
News on social media is filled with bad actors, misinformation, and bots deliberately to drive up engagement through outrage. 99% of the time it’s not worth the mental blowback.