I Don't Read The News

I stopped reading the news way back when the pandemic started. At the time, Trump and COVID were all you could read about. I even unsubscribed from The New Yorker and The Atlantic because there was hardly a headline that wasn’t about how awful everything was.

Sometimes, I feel guilty about not reading the news regularly because doing so makes me feel like a conscientious citizen. There is this little part of me that worries that I am "just avoiding the issues and looking away" because news media is not a part of my daily reading.

And yet, when I slip up and get dragged into the newsfeed, I quickly remember why I quit it in the first place. It just makes me feel like shit.

Now, feeling like shit in and of itself is not a problem. When bad stuff happens, feeling like shit is normal. The problem with feeling bad because of the news is that nothing good comes from it.

Feeling concerned just by itself is a pretty useless state to be in. Sure, it gives me stuff to talk about and feel important about. I can pat myself on the back and enjoy some tea on the noble high ground of concerned citizenship. But nothing will change just because I feel concerned or bad about "all the horrible things that are going on".

To be fair, feeling good about something doesn't change the world either, but at least I benefit from it if nothing else. I do not benefit from feeling bad.

So I don't read the news.

I figured that I can take plenty of action on the things that I care about without reading the news. I can donate to non-profits and speak up in support of politics I agree with. I can talk more openly about mental health and help the people around me talk more openly about theirs. I can volunteer at the city library and support artists I love.

I can go to bat for all my causes. Every day. Without reading the news or being stuck in a concern trap.

My feelings won't change the world.

My actions just might.