I’m torn between wanting to keep up with current events and being repelled at the same time. All patience is gone with TV journalism, but I’ve settled on a compromise — watch to get the gist then walk away when the Hollywood drama begins. The flawed idea that continual repetition and speculation will keep me hooked and tuned in has me turning off. I know that starting the day on a positive note is important because it mentally sets me up to better handle whatever comes my way. Ending the day calmly helps with that all important….. sleep, yay!
Newscasters, perhaps auditioning for an imaginary casting agent, beat me over the head with endless, irresponsible speculation which soon turns into gum-flapping at its finest. The irresponsible part — exactly how to make that bomb, wild guesswork on possible suspects, or shoving the microphone into a grief stricken face — is a tragedy by itself. And we’ve had so much human tragedy in the past few months. Constant coverage of catastrophic bombings, shootings, and the antics of our national adolescents in D.C. has bombarded us with despicable news, and if you’ve followed the play-by-play, you now have a permanent furrow etched in your face. And maybe a mood to match.
Jon Stewart saves my sanity.
I used to eagerly watch news in keep in the loop of the world, but I don’t like being yelled at, nor do I want to join the homey little coffee klatch that bantering anchors try to simulate. Oh… now I get it: national news strives to be the ultimate reality show. Now it all makes sense.
Scenarios are consistent: scary photos, then five minutes of actual facts followed by hours and hours, days and days, of rumor and speculation. These constant “what if’s” and “maybe’s” keep us all on the edge, increasing anxiety and maybe even depression. The notion that the public has to be in on every detail behind the scenes is stressful; being riled up all the time over things we can’t do anything about is overwhelming. Bodies aren’t built to be in constant “alert mode”.
Maybe I’m too sensitive, but I was forced years ago to make a rule for myself – no brain work after 7:00 pm. I was often too keyed up at bedtime to fall asleep or couldn’t get back to sleep in the middle of the night. I like to read in bed, but now make sure it’s the right, light stuff. Nothing that triggers my brain into irreversible action. No mysteries or financial dilemmas to solve, please. And definitely… no news.