In my early 20s I started a journalism degree course. I wanted to be an investigative journalist. I wanted to know how writers found their scoops. I wanted to know the secrets of Fleet Street.
I hated university, but that’s another topic. I had always consumed news. I read newspapers, I watched TV news, current affairs shows etc.
I’d start my day watching breakfast news, then I’d read a newspaper during the day. If I happened to be home at lunch, of course I’d watch the lunchtime news. Then the evening news, then the iconic news at 10. If that wasn’t enough, I’d watch Question Time, Newsnight, The Big Questions and Sunday Politics. If you’re not from the UK, these programs will mean nothing to you. In short, they are current affairs panel shows, usually with politicians, experts and social commentators.
This was how I spent my time. It all started to become too much. The first thing to drop off my schedule was Question Time. This was on at about 10pm/11pm week nights. There would be politicians who were incapable of answering a question and usually a so-called celebrity who opposes anyones point of view just to get attention. The other guests on the panel, people who had some insight into the issues being discussed, they were usually great, well informed and open minded. It was the politicians and celebrities that drove me away. The unanswered questions and the contrary opinions just made me so mad. Due to this show being at bedtime, I’d go to bed angry. That is not a fun thing to do, would not recommend.
Very quickly after that Newsnight fell away for me. This usually consisted of a deeper insight in to the news, which was interesting. But, again, it was the politicians or celebrities that appeared on the show that put me off. Also, some of the topics covered were not suitable for me to watch just before bedtime. As well as going to bed angry because of Question Time, Newsnight would leave me feeling miserable. For my own sanity, these two had to go.
Next was the newspapers. Depending on which newspaper you read, the news will change. This sounds obvious. Of course different newspapers will have different opinions, but I wasn’t reading the opinion pieces, I was reading the news. Surely, facts are facts. That’s what I wanted. That’s what I wanted to do, find the truth. I got so sick of reading contradicting information, I stopped reading newspapers.
Sunday Politics became very dull and predictable. It was politicians not answering questions every week. Nothing substantial ever comes out of a politicians mouth. I got bored and stopped watching.
The Big Questions is a weekly show that discusses current issues as well as ongoing issues. It also looks at issues from around the world and discusses them with experts and the general public. Whilst I did learn a lot from this show, the arguments between opposing sides were pathetic. It wasn’t a discussion, it was whoever could shout the loudest. I love to learn, to ask questions, and I like to think of myself as open minded, so to watch a group of people be so set in their ways was frustrating.
Now I was left with the news. News at 10, the iconic late night news in the UK. I had to stop watching this because again, seeing how crappy people are was too much for bedtime watching. That’s all TV news is, reporting humans being shitty to each other and destroying the planet. I know the state of the world, I don’t want to be reminded every night.
The lunchtime news just fell away as I got a full time job, I wasn’t missing much.
Last news standing was the breakfast news. I lost the love for this during the pandemic of 2020. Every day was more depressing news about this virus that we couldn’t control, that was killing people, that our government wasn’t taking seriously. It was heartbreaking. Then on top of that, we had wildfires across the world, animals going extinct, we had idiot presidents and prime ministers. If you google the year 2020 you’ll see the shit show that the earth was. All of this was too much. I felt overwhelmed, almost like I’d overdosed on news and couldn’t consume any more. My temper was getting shorter with every show I watched. It was really starting to affect my anxiety. I finally decided that I needed to stop watching the news.
I felt guilty. As an absolute news whore, I thought that anyone that took no interest in the news or current affairs was ignorant, stupid, uninformed. I thought I was superior. I knew about world affairs therefore I was better than the plebs in the street. That was just arrogant and ignorant. Yes, I am actively avoiding the news and current affairs. The old adage of ignorance is bliss is true. I am still aware of what’s going on in the world and it’s miserable, but I don’t need to consume the news to add to that misery. If there’s an issue that I am interested in, I can find the information I want and learn.
I have not gone back to consuming news. I live under my rock, in my own little world and my mental health is certainly better. News still creeps in, but it’s not overload. I don’t let it affect my health, it’s not worth it. You have to do what is best for you. Sometimes I get the urge to write a blog or record a video about current affairs or politics, but within minutes I become anxious and overwhelmed. I’m not the same person I was when I started university all those years ago. I’ve mellowed. I’ve learnt that it’s ok to take a back seat in life and watch it roll by.
I’m not ambitious. I’m not confrontational. I just want a simple life. And for me, that means keeping the world at arms length.
