I know I’m not the only one. I’m not even the only one in my house to cut back on my TV news viewing.
The emotions fomented by fraught times continue to weigh on us. Emotional stability shouldn’t be a 2022 oxymoron. As a result—even for a news junkie—watching TV news has never been more parlous. That’s because it’s more about unsettling optics and ratings than about relevant societal updates. According to a survey by Digital Third Coast, more than two-thirds of respondents reported feeling “burnt out” by the news. “If it bleeds, it leads” still, alas, resonates—from cell-phone crime scenes and a Russian invasion to pandemic body counts and “weather porn” during hurricane season. “Breaking news” is now a network cliché. And social media remains a self-evident, Faustian deal with the devil.
And then there are the redundant, political-talk shows across the spectrum that all depend on conflict for their ratings. This typically manifests itself in partisan discord, if not vitriol, as well as theatrics. As for modulated discussions—sans interruptions and talk-overs—well, that’s why there’s PBS.
So what’s a news junkie to do? Rely more on the written word, however self-serving that may sound. Being informed should not have to be a visceral experience. Reading is less likely to cause the sort of gut-wrenching stress that leads to anxious mood swings and problematic sleeping.
Speaking of sleeping, not getting ramped up over optics certainly helps—as does cannabis tincture.