I’m done. I’m so done.
It was last Tuesday, about 11:30pm, when I finally admitted it to myself. I was scrolling through my phone, as usual, and I just… couldn’t. Couldn’t care. Couldn’t muster the energy to even pretend to care about the 214th political scandal this year. I mean, honestly, who can keep up?
I’m not saying I’m gonna become one of those people who live under a rock. But I am saying I’m done with the 24-hour news cycle. It’s completley exhausting, and honestly, it’s not even news anymore. It’s just noise.
Let me tell you about Marcus.
Marcus is a friend of mine. Let’s call him Marcus because, frankly, I don’t want him to know I’m talking about him. He’s a news junkie. Always has been. He’s the guy who’s always got the latest update, the freshest scandal, the most shocking headline. And you know what? He’s miserable.
I asked him about it once, over coffee at the place on 5th. I said, “Marcus, you’re always glued to your phone, always reading, always watching. Don’t you ever get tired?” And he looked at me like I’d just asked him to explain why the sky is blue. “It’s my committment to being informed,” he said. Which… yeah. Fair enough. But is it really?
Here’s the thing about news.
It’s not just about being informed. It’s about feeling informed. It’s about that little dopamine hit you get every time you see a notification, every time you refresh the page and see something new. It’s an addiction, plain and simple. And like any addiction, it’s gonna take more and more to satisfy that craving.
I used to be like Marcus. I used to think that the more news I consumed, the better informed I was. But then I started noticing something. I wasn’t actually learning anything. I was just getting angrier. And more anxious. And more… numb.
So I decided to do an experiment. I cut out all news consumption for a week. No TV, no radio, no websites, no nothing. And you know what happened? I felt better. I felt lighter. I felt… free.
But what about staying informed?
Look, I’m not saying you should ignore local news coverage update completely. There are still things you need to know. But you don’t need to know everything. You don’t need to know every little detail about every little thing.
Instead of trying to keep up with every story, pick a few topics that really matter to you. Maybe it’s climate change. Maybe it’s education policy. Maybe it’s the local sports team. Whatever it is, focus on that. Read deeply about it. Talk to people about it. And for the love of god, don’t let yourself get sucked into the vortex of endless, meaningless updates.
A tangent: The time I met a famous journalist
This is totally off topic, but I gotta tell you about this time I met a famous journalist. Let’s call him Dave. I was at a conference in Austin, and he was giving a talk. I went up to him afterwards and told him how much I admired his work. He looked at me and said, “Thanks, but honestly, I’m just trying to make a living like everyone else.” Which, I mean, fair. But it kinda burst my bubble.
Anyway, the point is, journalists are people too. They’ve got bills to pay, families to feed, and yeah, they make mistakes. They’re not infallible. They’re not always right. And they’re certainly not always honest.
Back to the point
So here’s my advice. Pick your battles. Focus on what matters. And for the love of god, stop letting the news control your life. It’s not worth it.
I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. It’s gonna be hard. You’re gonna feel like you’re missing out. You’re gonna feel like you’re out of the loop. But trust me, it’s gonna be okay. You’re gonna be okay.
And who knows? You might even start feeling a little bit… happy.
About the Author: Jane Doe is a senior magazine editor with 20+ years of experience. She’s written for major publications, and she’s seen it all. She’s also a bit of a curmudgeon, and she’s not afraid to say what she thinks. You can find her on Twitter, ranting about the state of the world.
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