Ignore the news

I remember laughing at the story about the judge who asked "Who are the Beatles?". Now I find them a very wise person indeed :)

I'll settle for an 'ignore medium.com' button.

As a former newspaper person, I'm inclined to say "But oh, knowing current events is our civic duty"...and it is....but consuming journalism isn't the same as consuming news, and reading a lengthy in depth story about an event that happened last month or last year or even the last decade is likely more helpful than staying abreast of the 24 hour news cycle.

This has been said before, but I'd also argue that the constant news cycle is just harmful, period. The most recent manifestation of this for me was the Boston Bombings...it was a terrible event, but not being in Boston, there was literally no benefit I could gain from listening to the minute by minute coverage. But I did it anyway, even checking it late in the night and early in the morning. When that situation was resolved...all those accumulated hours of listening didn't mean a thing. News shouldn't be consumed like a TV series, in which the point is the journey, rather than the conclusion.

I think it's better to think of the breaking news phenomenon in psychological terms, rather than content. It's not that you're necessarily obsessed with shootings, bombings, and celeb drug rehab, but that the constant stream of dilemma and reward (when a new turn unfolds) must have a similar effect to other endorphin-releasing habits.

And while I'm just throwing pop psychology out there...it is indisputable that the news covers the novel and unlikely, that's why it is "news". Consuming too much of it will distort your reality and perception of what's "normal". After doing cops reporting, I couldn't help but feel extra paranoid when walking certain streets when off the job..."This is where people get shot" is an entirely irrational way to judge a neighborhood, but it won't seem irrational if that's your primary or first acquaintance with the area.

and this is how you build the perfect bubble around you.

ignore the news is the new oh we don't own a tv. or oh i don't listen to "popular" music.

Hacker News doesn't fall under "daily news"?