It started with cable news back in the 80/90s. Access to concerning or upsetting “news” 24/7. It’s even worse today with traditional and Internet based media companies relying on their ability to outrage an audience as a means to gain attention or clicks. I realized many moons ago that viewers are not the customer, our time/attention is the product being sold. They are desperate for eyebslls on their content and will resort to whatever manipulation to capture and track our attention.
So, why am I writing about this? Well I’m considering unplugging from the “news” unplugging from the politics pages altogether and only reading books. Good books! Escaping from a world of infuriating information that I can do little to nothing about, and instead availing myself of knowledge and advice carefully crafted and edited into a book, vetted and valiated, in terms of value, over time.
Reading or listening to the best books I can find on topics relevant to my interests and goals is what I should do. When I have time to absorb information, will it be something that helps me or something that hurts?
I had a philosophy professor who spent one year not consuming “news” and found that he knew about it anyway from other people telling him. So, if I avoided news media I’d likely hear about it anyway.
But, how addicted am I to the instant phone/screen of bad news and political drama? Good question. I’m almost afraid to find out. Certainly, managing the media I choose to consume is relevant to The 365 Commitments I make.
I wouldn’t be writing about it unless I was seriously considering a consciously changing how I select and consume media. Life is diffucult enough without focusing on the problems of the world that I cannot change; instead I will change habits of body and mind that lead to a future state I desire. Good Books, I think, is where I’m heading for refuge.
Ben Wagner (179)
Member The 365 Commitment
