I stopped watching the news about a year ago, sometime around early Spring of 2019. I would watch it every morning before work; my parents got up before me and always turned it on, and most times they would leave it on when they left, thus when I came down there it was. So there I was – sitting in front of a TV blasting misinformation with my cup of coffee and my spongey mind.
Next thing you know, I’m ticked off, upset, annoyed, or some combination of synonymous negative feelings. Then here I am, going about my day in a bad mood over something that a) has nothing to do with me, b) I can’t change or fix, and c) was factually manipulated to serve a purpose.
This is the local paper that magically appears in our mailbox every few weeks!
Point C being the home hitter. I personally see no benefit from watching new stations/channels (except maybe your tiny little local station with your neighbor & his dog as the reporters). The information we are receiving from the mainstream media is intentionally manipulated to illicit an emotional response. Here’s the thing though, it doesn’t matter what that emotional response is – as long as it triggers you enough to cause it to swirl in your head all day.
Watching the news is altering our mental states.
It’s causing negative emotions, in some form, for probably almost everyone who watches any news stations. Which in turn, jacks up our ego. Much of what is being reported causes us to feel helpless, out of control, and many times can put us in a victim mindset.
Now, the point of this is not to bash the media, nor is it to tell everyone they shouldn’t watch it. If you watch the news, that is your prerogative, and though I think it can be harmful – the point I’m trying to make is how strongly this can influence our subconscious without us realizing it.
If you are a news watcher, ask yourself:
- Am I consciously watching the news, or do I unconsciously slip into mindless sponge mode?
- Am I aware of what stories are triggering these “negative” emotions, and do I know why they triggered me?
- Am I taking all that is said as fact, or am I intelligently questioning it and doing my own research?
- Am I allowing any negative state I fall into to hang around all day?
I watched the news this morning for the first time in a year, and these were some of the questions I asked myself (I turned the tv on, and that was on, so I decided to observe how it affects me). I realized that for me, it is simply not healthy to watch the news. But why?
I’ve realized that one of my biggest triggers is the induction of fear. So many news stories are structured to induce fear upon the viewer – and I’m talking all different kinds of fear. It really rubs me the wrong way when I hear something being overdramatized to produce a reaction from the people, and it bothers me even more when they suggest there is a certain way of living. I think I view the news as an outlet to strip away our individuality and to condition our vulnerable minds.
Go ahead, call me crazy, but hear me out on this one:
When I watch the news, I feel so unimportant & useless, and I feel as though I’m not good enough, or not living up to the standards of society that make us successful. It makes me feel squashed and put down, and I feel as though I should be doing things as others do them, or as is deemed acceptable – and thinking about how I don’t do that then gives me anxiety and makes me feel like a failure.
**I also understand that this is my ego screaming during the above experience, and that it typically happens when I slip into that subconscious fear-based mindset.**
However, I don’t feel any of this when I don’t watch the news. Hence, these feelings are avoidable, and in a way – voluntarily induced by putting myself in front of it.
My social media has no politics on it – it’s all uplifting, good vibes, animals, travel, and health & wellness related content. I use it to inspire & uplift me. I don’t feel as though I’m doing something wrong or living my life as a failure because I’m choosing to go an unstandardized route. I feel supported, confident, and like my individuality means something (because it does).
All that may even sound a little contradictory, as I’m preaching awareness while watching the news and here it is altering my state of mind. However, I think that is part of the point. I am aware of how the news affects me, and I am aware of the negative emotions it triggers, and why. For me, watching the news is exhausting because of all the mindset work I have to do to stay positive during it – and thus, it’s just not worth it for me. Is it worth it for you?
All this being said – I do, however, stay up to date with worldly happenings, but I prefer to do research online using multiple sources (you never know these days what is true and what is false, so the more sources the better!). The most important thing is to figure out what works for you, and what the healthiest way to stay up to date on our world news is for you. Just remember to be conscious of how it makes you feel!
