Found this in a metafilter thread about responsible news consumption, because sometimes I feel like I keep opening the news throughout the day to see what horrible things are happening and it feels addictive and non productive. Not sure I agree with cutting out news entirely — that has the same feel as giving up my smartphone, in that it’s a really sexy idea but seems nonproductive — but there are some good points about how unimportant most news is.
LordT
Date_Posted: 2025-10-04 09:10:17
Yeah news is mostly trash, some counterpoints:
Most people lack the critical thinking skills to understand discussing an underlying issue vs an immediate reaction to something. If you think just a little bit, you actually have an advantage over many just hearing a few details. This is not collectively good, but I guess you could see it as giving you an edge.
Article was written in 2010 - when we're about to enter Civil War 2. It's good to know what to expect / how to prepare when every 5 minutes someone is getting arrested, new tariff is happening, military being sent to X location, etc.
If it really bothers you, read less news or get news from better sources. This stuff used to be regulated for this exact reason and Rupert Murdoch lobbied to get rid of all of that.
Won't SOMEONE rid me of this meddlesome Australian Oligarch?
Date_Posted: 2025-10-04 00:33:07
Found this in a metafilter thread about responsible news consumption, because sometimes I feel like I keep opening the news throughout the day to see what horrible things are happening and it feels addictive and non productive. Not sure I agree with cutting out news entirely — that has the same feel as giving up my smartphone, in that it’s a really sexy idea but seems nonproductive — but there are some good points about how unimportant most news is.
Date_Posted: 2025-10-04 09:10:17
Yeah news is mostly trash, some counterpoints:
Most people lack the critical thinking skills to understand discussing an underlying issue vs an immediate reaction to something. If you think just a little bit, you actually have an advantage over many just hearing a few details. This is not collectively good, but I guess you could see it as giving you an edge.
Article was written in 2010 - when we're about to enter Civil War 2. It's good to know what to expect / how to prepare when every 5 minutes someone is getting arrested, new tariff is happening, military being sent to X location, etc.
If it really bothers you, read less news or get news from better sources. This stuff used to be regulated for this exact reason and Rupert Murdoch lobbied to get rid of all of that.
Won't SOMEONE rid me of this meddlesome Australian Oligarch?