I have a friend who watches the news like he is eating potato chips, one program after another. He loves the turmoil, the conflict, and the drama. He views it as entertainment but does not take much of it seriously.

Recently I was visiting my parents, and my father asked me about a current news topic. I told him I don’t watch the news, any news, ever. He asked me a few more questions with a look of complete disbelief on his face. My dad honestly could not imagine someone not watching the news. He asked, “don’t you care what is going on in the world?” I replied with “none of it affects me.”

The Regan Era

I stopped watching all news back in 1985. I have never gone back on my decision. The reason was that I felt the news was not being portrayed honestly, even back then and things have gotten much worse since, or so I hear.

When I stopped watching it was because many people were talking about the economy and how the politicians in office were going to “destroy our country” and “be the end of us all.” Well, that was back in 1985, and we are still here. I created a belief that none of what they reported on the news ever affected me anyway, so I didn’t need to know about it.

Always a Negative Slant

I taped a TV show recently and zipped through the commercials. One local weather station slipped through just long enough for me to hear the guy saying “although it’s nice and sunny out now, more bad weather on the way…” I actually laughed out loud. Weather people sure have changed. Unless they are trying to scare you, they aren’t doing their job. You could hear the glee in his voice as he talked about impending doom of another storm. Take a minute to stop and listen to it with new ears. You may find it as silly as I did.

The news is all about scare tactics and over-dramatized headlines. I think they want to keep you in fear so that you don’t dare NOT watch. Sadly none of this results in any positive change.

Why The News is Bad For You

Recently I argued with my friend that by watching all this news, it did affect him. The negative, angry slant of every story, was seeping into his subconscious and causing him to be more confrontational and upset himself. I see it when he gets into heated political debates with family and friends. It does not make him a nicer, easier person to be around.

It is a struggle for most of us to stay positive in our own lives, then when we combine listening to threats of catastrophic events and horrible tragedies, how are we to ever feel safe?

Fear Breeds More Fear

My poor mother watches the news all the time and is scared about everything from wars, to home invasions and the next big snow storm. I told her if she didn’t watch the news, she could probably reduce or eliminate her fear to almost nothing.

Watching all this political conflict and people taking sides does nothing to improve our country and our sense of peace and wellbeing. Newsmakers are not in business to help you, they are making money, and they have found a goldmine in scaring people. Good, happy news doesn’t sell, only fear and torment do. Don Henley wrote a song about it years ago. Something has to change somewhere if we are to expand and evolve as human beings.

A More Complex Issue

Recently someone asked me about the gun issue and the school shooting. I was reluctant to answer, but my feelings are this. Those who are picking a side are looking at it very black and white. I do not subscribe to either political party, as my feelings do not fit inside a box. I am a complicated person with a variety of views, some from this side and some from that side

This particular issue is complex and requires a lot of change in a lot of areas. It’s not all this or all that. The reason this sort of thing happens is not about political agendas or gun control it’s about human connection, mental illness, happiness and the state of a child’s life.

If you strip away all the hate, all the finger pointing, it all boils down to what happened in this poor boy’s life to make him lash out at others. Really think about that. With the stress of life, fear of what we see and hear on the news, how far are any of us from snapping and taking actions we don’t want to take?

Put Love and Support First

The solution is not to pick a side; it is to fix the myriad of problems that resulted in this tragedy. There was not just one person or one group that we need to punish. No one needs punishment. We need a solution to fix all the things that went wrong.

That is just my two cents on the subject, but I feel like we are still in infancy in many ways. We have a long, long way to go to be a society of kind, loving people that want to raise one another up, support and guide rather than hate, hurt and destroy each another. I hope I get to see that kind of change during my lifetime.

The Solution

I am on a spiritual path to improving myself, expanding my awareness and trying to be the best person I can. Watching negativity and people tear each other apart instead of looking at the broader perspective, and a solution is not in line with my goals. Therefore I stand by my decision not to watch or read any news. I don’t need it, I sleep better without it, and I feel confident that none of it will ever affect me anyway. The solution is to stop feeding into what they are dishing out to us. Turn away, turn towards something better, something nicer that makes you feel good. Find ways to lift people up instead of debating about all the hate in this world.