I recently read a summary on the book Stop Reading the News by Rolf Dobelli. I have stayed away from the mainstream media (MSM), including social media, for many of the reasons this book points out. It took me awhile to figure it out, but I’m sure glad I did!
When I was following the so-called “news,” I found myself getting agitated and irritable. My personal life was suffering, and my family was taking the brunt of it. I just thought this was how life was. Boy, was I wrong!
Many of the click-bait headlines in the “news” were a far exaggeration of what the actual story entailed. My attention span was getting short, and my productivity had hit rock bottom. I started feeling used. Time spent following the “news” was time wasted.
I figured out that most of my anxiety was coming from one source: the “news.” Once I understood that most of the “news” I was ingesting from the MSM was actually propaganda, it was easier to quit. Yes, this was a bad habit I needed to quit.
It took a couple of weeks or so after I quit to notice the benefits. My productivity came back, my anxiety was greatly reduced and I felt like a husband and a dad again. Quality time with my family was much improved!
If you struggle with time management, this could be the answer. Either way, the “news” isn’t really news. It’s an algorithm to keep you distracted and in front a screen to sell more advertising. In essence, to control the population through propaganda.
Quote Worth Re-Quoting
Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are God. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are God.
Christopher Hitchens