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Ask HN: How do you read the news without getting depressed?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you read the news without getting depressed?

#11

Post by throwaway8879 »

askafriend wrote: post #5

You don’t have to know everything that’s going on. It won’t change your life and you often won’t have the means to affect the situation. For example, I don’t know what’s going on in New Zealand. I’ve heard vague things about the shooting from people talking about it but I’m not even going to bother looking it up. People die every day for depressing reasons. This is just another event that is only differentiated by th…

You make a very good point. Also, time gives us a saner perspective to view an event with, without attachment to emotions and impulsive thoughts. I am very much in agreement with what you said. I don't mind reading about something 6 months later.

Short of an armed overthrowing od the government where I live, or aliens attacking, or an asteroid hitting the planet, I don't see how instantly knowing the "news" helps me keep my peace if mine.

Re: Ask HN: How do you read the news without getting depressed?

#12

Post by growlist »

You don't say where you are, but here in the UK at least there are weekly publications that give a summary of the week's news. Good thing there is that the terseness mandated by compressing a week's news into a page or two forces them to focus more on the facts, rather than pushing the publication's political doctrine (which depressingly seems to be the case in the MSM).

Re: Ask HN: How do you read the news without getting depressed?

#16

Post by chad_strategic »

Some random thoughts...

I still listen to NPR. It seems to be slightly tame / a little bit liberal. (I need to listen to something during the day, as I'm a programmer in an open office.)

I read Bloomberg Business week,(actual paper edition) cause it's a little more business orientated and I don't see a big political agenda.

I have a kindle that is probably 6 years old, with limited features. I think it is awesome because I can just read a book and not accidentally click on a website...

I have stopped checking news sites, or have reduce it significantly. Zerohedge, splinternews...

What has helped the most, removing Facebook in 2010 and then twitter in 2017. That has been a relief and I feel as a burden has been lifted from me. Just cause I can, doesn't mean that I need to know what everybody thinks about a particular issue.

I also go to the gym for the sole purpose of getting away from the computer and phone. I rarely, use my phone while in bed. From dinner time to when my son goes to bed (about 3 hours) I put my phone away completely. I personally believe that the phone addiction is part of the problem with the 24 hour news cycle.

I don't have cable tv

Re: Ask HN: How do you read the news without getting depressed?

#17

Post by HissingMachine »

Maybe you should screw your head right. What is so depressing about the news? Journalism has always been about sensationalism and clickbait, but for every depressing news, there are dozen little victories that the press ignores. We live in an age of unprecedented prosperity and the future trajectory is looking promising on multiple avenues. Millions of people will be lifted from poverty, hundreds of diseases will be eradicated, more and more people are getting connected globally and many things are affordable and will be increasingly so during your lifetime. We are sending rockets to space so casually that it's becoming mundane even to a layperson. Don't get me wrong, sure we are facing serious stuff on many many avenues, but you have to understand the scale and nature of everything that is going on. News only covers the wafer-thin cross-section of the global experience, and even then they just cover the fumbles and foibles.

Maybe what I'm saying is that you have to balance your diet with the awesome heroics that people constantly do and broaden your view of what is actually happening around the world. I don't have a simple answer to this, but what I can suggest is that maybe you look for science and engineering news, there might be positive sources for the developing human condition other than trashy journalism.

Re: Ask HN: How do you read the news without getting depressed?

#18

Post by mntmoss »

I try to add more structure to how I do things these days. It was not that long ago that I could just sit around for hours on social media, but it helped to have life goals that pulled me away from that.

I am only really aware of news in a few enthusiast areas, where it's effectively a source of entertainment, and a bit of local news(and then mostly headlines). When I need to be informed about something(e.g. elections), then it is a research project like in school. My experience with news is that the more you try to "understand" events by consuming news product, the more you get drawn in to a manufactured story of some kind(whether it's "scene drama", conspiracies, apocalyptic fears or ineffectual radical causes). But boring news - demographic statistics, business summaries, legislation, and so forth - contains all the whispers of the truth, all the facts that we very loudly obscure under public dialogue.

To create the world I want to live in, I must actively live in a way that creates that world, which means managing who I am and how I behave, and discarding parts of the rat race, while not going to full hermit/off-grid mode. Letting my grip on things loosen to play is OK, but I have to put myself in a situation where I'm not just looking for random stimulation and grabbing whatever works.

Re: Ask HN: How do you read the news without getting depressed?

#19

Post by xemdetia »

Things aren't happening as fast as 24/7 cable news needs to fill hours. It is a lot easier to pick an half hour to pick articles and a half hour in the evening than be consumed by it. For better or worse Google news is still valuable to me for putting multiple headlines side by side and the difference in intent can be enlightening in its own way.

Another thing is especially in the last five years or so the number of pointless articles that do not inform or do real anything that end up as news just is too high. The article that is third or fourth to the post can be 100x more valuable in actually showing references or deeper analysis. It's ok to put the news on hold to stop eating your time/money. Also ditch 95% of opinion articles as hopeless.

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