Breaking free from the news

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the author's decision to limit their consumption of news and media, citing reasons such as the prevalence of negative news, lack of context, and the short-lived nature of news stories. The author proposes alternative approaches to staying informed, such as reading weekly publications, using neutral news sources, and focusing on books over constantly checking the news.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Reasons for Limiting News Consumption

1. What are the main reasons the author gives for limiting their news consumption?

• The author feels overwhelmed by the constant stream of information and negative news from all directions, which can be too much to handle.
• The author believes that negative news, while important, can be overemphasized, and there are also many positive developments happening that are not as widely reported.
• The author lacks the historical and cultural context to fully understand the significance of many news stories, leading to a sense of detachment.
• The author believes that most news stories have a short lifespan and do not significantly impact their life in the long run.

2. How does the author view the role of negative news in society? The author acknowledges that negative news has an important role in society, as it can prompt reactions and reflection on problems. However, the author believes there should be a balance between negative and positive news reporting.

3. What examples does the author provide of positive news stories that are often overlooked? The author cites examples such as a glowing dye that may help surgeons detect prostate cancer more easily and a new algorithm that can detect disinformation in real-time.

[02] Alternative Approaches to Staying Informed

1. What alternative news sources does the author recommend?

• Weekly publications like The Economist, which provide more in-depth analysis of the previous week's events
• Subreddits like r/worldnews, which offer a more generalist and neutral news perspective
• Wikipedia's current events section, which presents news in a less sensationalized manner

2. How does the author suggest using books as an alternative to constantly checking the news? The author suggests that following the Lindy effect, which states that the longer an idea or information has been around, the more likely it is to remain relevant, leads to the conclusion that books are a better source of information than constantly checking the news. The author recommends spending more time reading books, especially on historical topics, as a way to stay informed.

3. What is the author's overall perspective on the importance of controlling one's news consumption in a capitalist society? The author suggests that in a capitalist society, where people have access to a wide range of products, experiences, and media, the ability to control and moderate one's consumption of these things, including news, can be a way for people to differentiate themselves and have more freedom, rather than being addicted to constant consumption.