I hear from more and more people that they’ve cut down on their news consumption because they just can’t take the stress. For some it was Donald Trump’s presidency that made the news too painful to follow closely. For others the tipping point was the coronavirus pandemic. The two phenomena together can make reading or watching the news a veritable exercise in masochism.
I’m committed to being informed so I still pore over the New York Times every morning, reading at least the lead (some would say lede) on every national and international story if not the entire article. But my inclination to check in on the news during the rest of the day has definitely waned. Following the news seems like more of a duty than a pastime these days.
I don’t follow social media so I don’t need to worry about being over-exposed to the news on Facebook or Instagram. But I did have a reflexive inclination to check the news app on my phone several times a day; I’ve now deleted it. I’ve also stopped watching TV network news in the evening. I figure being informed doesn’t mean I have to mainline news and commentary 24/7. If I want to get my heart thumping, I can go watch an episode of Homeland. At least then I can tell myself that what I’m watching isn’t real.