Fashion

[BellaPaprika]

Too much news most definitely is bad for your health. World news that could impact our nation is important to know and the same for national and local events that effect your community and your personal well being. But do you need to know every gory detail of the murder of a child for example that took place 2000 miles away? No, but you may be bombarded with it hourly if it occurs especially if it's a white child.

My point is that in today's 24 hour news era we get news of every type pretty much unfiltered from everywhere. I've read posters on these forums who bemoan the relative "safety" of 30 or 40 years ago even though violent crime in the U.S. is at the lowest point in decades. Why? Because they can turn on the TV at any time of the day or night and get news of a horrible tragedy. Most of these stories would never have reached them 20 or 30 years ago and never in such graphic detail. What changed along with the 24 hour coverage was the resulting need to fill up that 24 hours with something to keep the viewer glued to their set. The result: tabloid news, the bane of the airwaves and the demise of most true journalism.

Before you decide to disagree, please read this:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/why-we-worry/201206/the-psychological-effects-tv-news

[fromthebronx]

I do find the news to be overwhelming at times. I only watch once a day before I get dressed for work in the morning. Having said that, I don't find the news nearly as overwhelming now as I did when I was a teenager growing up during the Vietnam War. Now THAT was some realistic journalism...

[house cat]

Thank you, BCB. I agree with all that you said.

As the others have said, we need to stay informed. Our republic will only thrive if "we the people" are educated, informed, able to think for ourselves and willing to question what we hear.

Having said that, I agree that we are being barraged with news from every 'corner' of the world and it is not good for our collective psyche. It's hard to stay informed and not become overwhelmed.

I guess, as in all things, moderation is the key.

[BellaPaprika]

On 3/26/2014 fromthebronx said:

I do find the news to be overwhelming at times. I only watch once a day before I get dressed for work in the morning. Having said that, I don't find the news nearly as overwhelming now as I did when I was a teenager growing up during the Vietnam War. Now THAT was some realistic journalism...

So true, bronx, but at least it was an important event that we needed to know about and that intense coverage helped bring it to an end.

[house cat]

On 3/26/2014 fromthebronx said:

I do find the news to be overwhelming at times. I only watch once a day before I get dressed for work in the morning. Having said that, I don't find the news nearly as overwhelming now as I did when I was a teenager growing up during the Vietnam War. Now THAT was some realistic journalism...

Good point. That's one of the reasons Americans stood up in mass and called for an end to that war. The wars we've been involved in that last 30 years have been "airbrushed" for the media. There's no easy answer.

[kittymomNC]

If you don't watch the news enough to stay informed about what is going on in our country and the world, you are doing yourself a disservice. Yes, there are a lot of sad stories out there, but there are good ones too. You don't have to stay glued to it all day and, yes, some of the news "networks" have their own beliefs and agenda. If you only watch one channel, and it leans in one direction or another, you never get the other perspective. So do like you would when you go to the doctor, "get a second opinion". So many times all you hear are the same old talking points over and over about a subject and you never get the full story. My son has a friend who keeps making remarks, but when he is asked to explain what he means, he ignores it....because all he has heard is a "talking point" and has no idea what it really means or if there is another side. So listen to all sides, do a little research on your own, because a lot of what is said can be PROVEN right or wrong by looking at the facts. This goes for things that have to with science like climate change, healthcare, politics in general, the list goes on. It's up to all of us to care enough to know and not put on "blinders" just because we don't like what we hear or see. How else can we move the direction of this country, be it state, local, or national levels, to be the kind of country we all can enjoy? One which is more fair, has less violence, less controversy, and where we don't have to be "afraid" to watch the news??

[PhatCat]

News here is on from 4:00-7:00 on local stations. Too much, far too much. As someone already stated, news ad nauseum. DH and I only watch 6:00-6:30 local news then an half hour of world news. That's sufficient.

[kittymomNC]

On 3/26/2014 house cat said:

Thank you, BCB. I agree with all that you said.

As the others have said, we need to stay informed. Our republic will only thrive if "we the people" are educated, informed, able to think for ourselves and willing to question what we hear.

Having said that, I agree that we are being barraged with news from every 'corner' of the world and it is not good for our collective psyche. It's hard to stay informed and not become overwhelmed.

I guess, as in all things, moderation is the key.

housecat, your remarks are so true. If we are led around with blinders on and listen only to the constant "brainwashing" without question, in the long run we will not survive, let alone thrive.

[ChynnaBlue]

I choose to watch the news and be an informed citizen because it's my responsibility to know what's going on and work to make changes. Sure, sometimes it gets overwhelming and I need to take a break, but nothing is going to change if I'm not out there working to make it happen.

Sometimes the news can be depressing, but the thing that makes me more depressed is the number of people who aren't engaged and don't even bother to vote. A lot of moderates have stopped voting because they feel their votes don't count, but their votes count more than ever because by dropping out and NOT voting, they're allowing the extremists on both sides to take over. We lost some good moderates in the primary elections because people didn't think voting was important.

If you're depressed about the news, get involved, get engaged, and work to change what's going on to make it less depressing.

[ChynnaBlue]

On 3/26/2014 BlueCollarBabe said:

Too much news most definitely is bad for your health. World news that could impact our nation is important to know and the same for national and local events that effect your community and your personal well being. But do you need to know every gory detail of the murder of a child for example that took place 2000 miles away? No, but you may be bombarded with it hourly if it occurs especially if it's a white child.

My point is that in today's 24 hour news era we get news of every type pretty much unfiltered from everywhere. I've read posters on these forums who bemoan the relative "safety" of 30 or 40 years ago even though violent crime in the U.S. is at the lowest point in decades. Why? Because they can turn on the TV at any time of the day or night and get news of a horrible tragedy. Most of these stories would never have reached them 20 or 30 years ago and never in such graphic detail. What changed along with the 24 hour coverage was the resulting need to fill up that 24 hours with something to keep the viewer glued to their set. The result: tabloid news, the bane of the airwaves and the demise of most true journalism.

Before you decide to disagree, please read this:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/why-we-worry/201206/the-psychological-effects-tv-news

That's not news, that's sensationalism. And I agree, I don't watch that.

Right now I've been very concerned about the missing Malaysian Air flight because 20 of my colleagues are missing with that plane. It's on the news every time I turn it on and they almost never had any real facts because none were known. They spent most of the time weaving fantasy stories about what might have happened and it was disgusting. They did the same with the Boston bombing and every other tragedy. News is only news when they're giving you real information, not rambling on and making up every possible scenario under the sun because they need to fill 24 hours a day with "news."