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SoylentNews is people

posted by on Tuesday December 13 2016, @05:11PM   Printer-friendly
from the putting-ourselves-out-of-business dept.

This story might be helpful to those tearing their hair out about the news lately:

I grew up believing that following the news makes you a better citizen. Eight years after having quit, that idea now seems ridiculous—that consuming a particularly unimaginative information product on a daily basis somehow makes you thoughtful and informed in a way that benefits society.

But I still encounter people who balk at the possibility of a smart, engaged adult quitting the daily news.
...
A few things you might notice, if you take a break:

1) You feel better

A common symptom of quitting the news is an improvement in mood. News junkies will say it's because you've stuck your head in the sand.

But that assumes the news is the equivalent of having your head out in the fresh, clear air. They don't realize that what you can glean about the world from the news isn't even close to a representative sample of what is happening in the world.
...
2) You were never actually accomplishing anything by watching the news

If you ask someone what they accomplish by watching the news, you'll hear vague notions like, "It's our civic duty to stay informed!" or "I need to know what's going on in the world," or "We can't just ignore these issues," none of which answer the question.
...
A month after you've quit the news, it's hard to name anything useful that's been lost. It becomes clear that those years of news-watching amounted to virtually nothing in terms of improvement to your quality of life, lasting knowledge, or your ability to help others. And that's to say nothing of the opportunity cost. Imagine if you spent that time learning a language, or reading books and essays about some of the issues they mention on the news.

Read on for the rest of the list.


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by janrinok on Wednesday December 14 2016, @07:51PM

    by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday December 14 2016, @07:51PM (#441398) Journal

    because its fucking embarrassing to be associated with this toxic place.

    Yet here you are. We've enjoyed your company but you seem to think that it is time you left. Well, take care and good luck!

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  • (Score: 2) by edIII on Thursday December 15 2016, @03:07AM

    by edIII (791) on Thursday December 15 2016, @03:07AM (#441509)

    He will be missed. I was quite amused by the imagery of "fascists" in Nazi uniforms furiously masturbating in a circle to the Fuhrer's commands, whilst screaming, "Ya! Mein Fuhrer!".

    It also reminds of me of:


    Researcher: The average radio listener listens for eighteen minutes. The average Howard Stern fan listens for - are you ready for this? - an hour and twenty minutes.
    Pig Vomit: How can that be?
    Researcher: Answer most commonly given? "I want to see what he'll say next."
    Pig Vomit: Okay, fine. But what about the people who hate Stern?
    Researcher: Good point. The average Stern hater listens for two and a half hours a day.
    Pig Vomit: But... if they hate him, why do they listen?
    Researcher: Most common answer? "I want to see what he'll say next."

    He'll be back for more :)

    --
    Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.