In my old office they used to have a rolling news channel on all day and it just made people miserable and stressed. In the end we put music or sports on as we all got tired of it, especially around the London riots time when you would have an endless loop of attacks and buildings being burnt shown. I stopped reading the metro one day after an article about the London terrorist attacks (years after it took place) was detailing the event with such descriptive language that it made me feel physically sick. I thought, they know everyone reading this will be commuting, how does this inform or help anyone? It became apparent to me that most news seemed to be designed to frighten us into obsessively consuming it.
I didn’t watch the news at all until lockdown, where I think we all became obsessed with needing to know what was happening and in recent weeks again I’ve felt that same need to know if the world is likely to be ending due to erratic world leaders… if I don’t engage at all I do feel ignorant, and I have definitely been over-consuming the latest world events with a knot in my stomach and a fear that the world is turning dark. I am definitely going to step away more and remove some news from my social media. I don’t need to be reading an article before bed and then having dreams that I’m living in a war bunker anymore 🤦🏻♀️
It's such a balance isn't it, and so much about what we're reading and how, when and how often ... rolling news channels are obviously a terrible idea. How do journalists (or anyone else who has to stay informed on a daily basis) handle it?
I actually have a friend that works in the news room, all day every day, long hours as well starting at 5am sometimes and she has two kids. She is the MOST optimistic and positive person I know. She basically says she has that attitude because she sees so much horror that she appreciates all the good things in her life more. I said she must’ve had a calm, happy childhood that set her up well to cope, because my nervous system couldn’t cope with that lol.
"Is there a part of us that feels we should spend time thinking about how awful things are elsewhere, almost as a penance for when things in our lives are just fine?" Yes, there is! This whole idea of penance and self-denial to become good and attain salvation is so woven through our judeo-christian culture that we don't see it as shame in a sneaky disguise, and shame is a tool of control, while joy and pleasure are liberating. This is a great piece, Chloe. I have written only this week about going on a news fast, for the same reason you outline here in such beautiful depth, and I'll be sure to check out Oliver Burkeman's podcast.
thank you Annette - as I wrote that sentence I was tempted to dive into the idea in more depth but didn't want the piece to be any longer! there's really something to be unpicked here isn't there. "we don't see it as shame in a sneaky disguise, and shame is a tool of control, while joy and pleasure are liberating" - exactly that. joy as liberation. Have you read Adrienne maree brown's Pleasure Activism? It's on my to read pile but I haven't got to it yet! x
Oh yes! I read Pleasure Activism last year and recently listened to adrienne maree brown on On Being - she's such an inspiration! As it happens, the piece I write for IWD is about pleasure as liberation from the good girl shackles.
Love all these thoughts Annette and Chloe - I've been thinking about JOY for my Summer Element Session (FIRE's primary emotion is Joy) ... and I thin I've just found my way in with all of your thoughts.. off to look up Pleasure Activism and the On Being conversation now!
I loved reading this. The premise is something I've been haunted by recently - when I think about how much news I consume on a weekly basis it's no wonder the world seems unbearable. I think my own conclusion (for now, at least) is that it's less about the concept of current affairs or the act of reading the news, but more about 'what' news sources and 'how' you're accessing it. In an age of sweeping anti-intellectualism and current genocides (among other horrors), I felt like a head-in-sand-er for wanting to live in a sort of blissful ignorance for my own wellbeing but equally I cannot deal with the Trump headlines and I don't really need a daily update on how much we're exceeding global warming temperatures by. Instead, I've tried to shift from huge news platforms (no daily checking, absolutely no push notifications) and instead try and read from smaller, more in-depth news platforms as well as listening to the radio/podcasts. I find reading an actual newspaper interesting in a way that accessing The Guardian via the 6 inch screen of my iphone never could be. I do the crossword in between articles, I try and read more fiction and think of consuming news as seeing a journalist's storytelling endeavour rather than an exhaustive list of every bad thing in the world that I've failed to previously consider or form an opinion on. Ultimately, it feels like there's a moralistic value attached to reading the news and having opinions on everything - when in reality, it's nice to be in the loop and feel like a global citizen, but even nicer to live in tune with your surroundings and seasons and know your own mind and body better than you know the ins and outs of the latest political crisis. Sorry for the rambling - you've made me want to go sit with a tea and scribble in my journal.
not in any way a ramble Sarah - I loved every word of this comment. Can I quote you back to yourself - "consuming news as seeing a journalist's storytelling endeavour rather than an exhaustive list of every bad thing in the world that I've failed to previously consider or form an opinion on" - YES! - and "t's nice to be in the loop and feel like a global citizen, but even nicer to live in tune with your surroundings and seasons and know your own mind and body better than you know the ins and outs of the latest political crisis" - amen! I've started buying a Saturday paper again (the first time in 6 or 7 years, probably) and it's a real pleasure compared to the feeling that I must scroll the whole of the Guardian home page (can't click off until I've read every headline, why?!) I'd love to know which smaller/in-depth news platforms you've started to consume, if you don't mind shared.
I think it’s a “both, and” situation. We can stay engaged and active - with boundaries and self care. It is a privilege to be able to check out entirely (I know you’re not saying to do this, but many people believe they can do this longterm) and it allows democracy to be eroded before our eyes. Donald Trump may not directly affect us yet, but our countries are closely linked, and extreme right wing views are contagious as the global situation gets more and more uncertain. As a history grad, I see the pattern of democracy being eroded here too - little by little at first but it is a slippery slope. We are very lucky if we’re not already directly affected but unfortunately this may not last. Having said that, I completely agree with turning inward, taking care of ourselves and building local community so that we can be resilient in these increasingly wild times…
thanks Amy. the title of the post was a little provocative and it's definitely about setting boundaries and giving distance rather than turning away entirely. I absolutely agree about how frightening the erosion of rights is right now and how it could absolutely affect us (also I wasn't saying that the fact that something doesn't affect us makes it ok to turn away).
there are some complexities though I think, because I think that the stress of the news often makes us feel frustrated for not being to solve things alone, when problems are systemic (the example of feeling guilty about ordering something from amazon when climate breakdown is due in enormous proportion to the actions of a few companies/individuals comes to mind). So I think we simultaneously need to ask questions about responsibility and doing the right thing anyway - e.g. are we single-handedly hold the responsibility to solve an issue like climate breakdown or the erosion of our right to protest? - no; will anything we do individually make any difference to these issues? - a very likely no; should we try and our best individually and collectively to bring about the best solution - yes. It's a complicated thing for us to hold I think.
I also think the logistics of balancing self-care and activism can seem almost impossible (or I certainly haven't worked it out anyway!) and it's very different for different people in terms of tolerance and capacity. there is an anxiety pandemic as far as I can see and I wouldn't be comfortable telling people who experience great anxiety spikes when they read the news that they as individuals need to engage in a certain way. equally perhaps we don't need everyone to be the same kind of activist, or indeed an activist at all ... I'm getting into territory where I'm not quite sure what I think. would love to hear your thoughts!
I read somewhere (can't remember where) that one issue of the New York Times contains more information than a person 400 years ago would have taken in during the course of an entire year. And that is a paper issue, not the continuous barrage that is TV or, even worse, phone-based news! Personally, I am trying to be more informed about my local community, where I can actually make change and affect things for the better. Global news is terrifying and helplessness-inducing for me. I find that generally if something big happens, I will hear about it through friends or family.
This is spectacular Chloe, thank you. As always you have this wonderful way of putting across thoughts that are confused and knotted in my brain. It feels like our minds were not meant for this level of information and understanding of what’s going on elsewhere, and yet, because we can, we have to. Our brains haven’t caught up! And it feels totally paralysing.
thank you so much Lizzie - the thoughts were very knotted in my brain too! this piece was like pulling teeth to write but something in me wanted to persist, I think I was trying to work out what I think but was wading past lots of confusion and beliefs to get there. You're right, we're not built for this (not a fault within us but the design of the platforms). what a learning curve to try and create good habits with it all.
Great post thank you! You made a great point about spiritual and world leaders taking a step back before re-entering the world to change it. On the practical side, I also took the news apps off my phone and read them only on the desktop. Bedroom reserved for fiction or non-fiction travel writing. Escapism rather than doomscrolling before bed!
love it! bedroom sanctuary for reading. I still have the issue of sometimes wanting my phone nearby to listen to a meditation before bed/if I wake in the night. but out of the bedroom is so much better!
I really appreciate these words,Chloe. Thank you. I actually bought a paper yest4for the first time in months because I need the newsprint to line the bunnys' litter tray. I haven't even opened the main bit and have just briefly skimmed the magazine. It's enough for me at the moment, and you articulate what I feel so well.
thank you Lindsay <3 I love a paper! so nostalgic, so much less overwhelming. I think we're all burnt out from the horror. sometimes need to withdraw for a good long while before we're refreshed enough to come back feeling strong enough for it all.
I noticed a pretty large positive change when I cut the “news” out of my life.
I was tired of hearing about the hourly updates of trapped chilean miners or the story that starts with one set of facts (often grossly exaggerated) only to actually get the real story a few days later.
This shift to “slow news” often read in print or heard through others still keeps me informed in some capacity, but at that point it’s a more factual based story not a sensationalized clickbait title.
This is such a great piece Chloe, and echoes so much of how I feel, especially the bit about feeling like a dunce for not knowing more about current affairs. I am so aware that it is an immense privilege to not be directly impacted by a lot of what goes on, but if my nervous system is not settled enough I can’t take on too much or I then become disconnected with my own life and with my little ones. It does feel very selfish at times but I have to have the capacity to hold it and so being selective with what and when I consume in terms of news is essential. Thank you for writing this. Xx
Hi Chloe, I loved this so much! I'm so happy that you wrote this and wish my mum would read it... she has got so wrapped up in the news/trump occurrences, she is making herself physically ill! 🥺
I try to tell her it's not worth getting so wound up and she accuses me of being "ignorant and burying my head in the sand" - This hurts so much and is far from the truth, but she is so distressed and in such a state of high anxiety/fear, that she can't see how badly it's effecting her (and those around her). 😔
She can't (won't) understand how others are not getting as worked up as she is, and when I try to explain my own reasons for taking a step back - to protect my fragile mental wellbeing and enable myself to continue parenting in a calm and measured way - she just gets angry with me and says I should care more and/or be doing more about it! 🙄
Thank you for helping me feel more at peace with my choice to keep a distance from the day to day barrage of hype. I hope people far and wide receive your wise words and it helps them to also feel less guilt for doing what is right for them. ❤️
In my old office they used to have a rolling news channel on all day and it just made people miserable and stressed. In the end we put music or sports on as we all got tired of it, especially around the London riots time when you would have an endless loop of attacks and buildings being burnt shown. I stopped reading the metro one day after an article about the London terrorist attacks (years after it took place) was detailing the event with such descriptive language that it made me feel physically sick. I thought, they know everyone reading this will be commuting, how does this inform or help anyone? It became apparent to me that most news seemed to be designed to frighten us into obsessively consuming it.
I didn’t watch the news at all until lockdown, where I think we all became obsessed with needing to know what was happening and in recent weeks again I’ve felt that same need to know if the world is likely to be ending due to erratic world leaders… if I don’t engage at all I do feel ignorant, and I have definitely been over-consuming the latest world events with a knot in my stomach and a fear that the world is turning dark. I am definitely going to step away more and remove some news from my social media. I don’t need to be reading an article before bed and then having dreams that I’m living in a war bunker anymore 🤦🏻♀️
It's such a balance isn't it, and so much about what we're reading and how, when and how often ... rolling news channels are obviously a terrible idea. How do journalists (or anyone else who has to stay informed on a daily basis) handle it?
I actually have a friend that works in the news room, all day every day, long hours as well starting at 5am sometimes and she has two kids. She is the MOST optimistic and positive person I know. She basically says she has that attitude because she sees so much horror that she appreciates all the good things in her life more. I said she must’ve had a calm, happy childhood that set her up well to cope, because my nervous system couldn’t cope with that lol.
wow that’s fascinating!
"Is there a part of us that feels we should spend time thinking about how awful things are elsewhere, almost as a penance for when things in our lives are just fine?" Yes, there is! This whole idea of penance and self-denial to become good and attain salvation is so woven through our judeo-christian culture that we don't see it as shame in a sneaky disguise, and shame is a tool of control, while joy and pleasure are liberating. This is a great piece, Chloe. I have written only this week about going on a news fast, for the same reason you outline here in such beautiful depth, and I'll be sure to check out Oliver Burkeman's podcast.
thank you Annette - as I wrote that sentence I was tempted to dive into the idea in more depth but didn't want the piece to be any longer! there's really something to be unpicked here isn't there. "we don't see it as shame in a sneaky disguise, and shame is a tool of control, while joy and pleasure are liberating" - exactly that. joy as liberation. Have you read Adrienne maree brown's Pleasure Activism? It's on my to read pile but I haven't got to it yet! x
Oh yes! I read Pleasure Activism last year and recently listened to adrienne maree brown on On Being - she's such an inspiration! As it happens, the piece I write for IWD is about pleasure as liberation from the good girl shackles.
ooh amazing! saving it now - just about to head to bath and bed and off-screen, but will look forward to reading tomorrow xx
Love all these thoughts Annette and Chloe - I've been thinking about JOY for my Summer Element Session (FIRE's primary emotion is Joy) ... and I thin I've just found my way in with all of your thoughts.. off to look up Pleasure Activism and the On Being conversation now!
hooray! love the cross-pollination from Substack. and excited to see how it materialises for the summer element session! x
I loved reading this. The premise is something I've been haunted by recently - when I think about how much news I consume on a weekly basis it's no wonder the world seems unbearable. I think my own conclusion (for now, at least) is that it's less about the concept of current affairs or the act of reading the news, but more about 'what' news sources and 'how' you're accessing it. In an age of sweeping anti-intellectualism and current genocides (among other horrors), I felt like a head-in-sand-er for wanting to live in a sort of blissful ignorance for my own wellbeing but equally I cannot deal with the Trump headlines and I don't really need a daily update on how much we're exceeding global warming temperatures by. Instead, I've tried to shift from huge news platforms (no daily checking, absolutely no push notifications) and instead try and read from smaller, more in-depth news platforms as well as listening to the radio/podcasts. I find reading an actual newspaper interesting in a way that accessing The Guardian via the 6 inch screen of my iphone never could be. I do the crossword in between articles, I try and read more fiction and think of consuming news as seeing a journalist's storytelling endeavour rather than an exhaustive list of every bad thing in the world that I've failed to previously consider or form an opinion on. Ultimately, it feels like there's a moralistic value attached to reading the news and having opinions on everything - when in reality, it's nice to be in the loop and feel like a global citizen, but even nicer to live in tune with your surroundings and seasons and know your own mind and body better than you know the ins and outs of the latest political crisis. Sorry for the rambling - you've made me want to go sit with a tea and scribble in my journal.
not in any way a ramble Sarah - I loved every word of this comment. Can I quote you back to yourself - "consuming news as seeing a journalist's storytelling endeavour rather than an exhaustive list of every bad thing in the world that I've failed to previously consider or form an opinion on" - YES! - and "t's nice to be in the loop and feel like a global citizen, but even nicer to live in tune with your surroundings and seasons and know your own mind and body better than you know the ins and outs of the latest political crisis" - amen! I've started buying a Saturday paper again (the first time in 6 or 7 years, probably) and it's a real pleasure compared to the feeling that I must scroll the whole of the Guardian home page (can't click off until I've read every headline, why?!) I'd love to know which smaller/in-depth news platforms you've started to consume, if you don't mind shared.
I think it’s a “both, and” situation. We can stay engaged and active - with boundaries and self care. It is a privilege to be able to check out entirely (I know you’re not saying to do this, but many people believe they can do this longterm) and it allows democracy to be eroded before our eyes. Donald Trump may not directly affect us yet, but our countries are closely linked, and extreme right wing views are contagious as the global situation gets more and more uncertain. As a history grad, I see the pattern of democracy being eroded here too - little by little at first but it is a slippery slope. We are very lucky if we’re not already directly affected but unfortunately this may not last. Having said that, I completely agree with turning inward, taking care of ourselves and building local community so that we can be resilient in these increasingly wild times…
thanks Amy. the title of the post was a little provocative and it's definitely about setting boundaries and giving distance rather than turning away entirely. I absolutely agree about how frightening the erosion of rights is right now and how it could absolutely affect us (also I wasn't saying that the fact that something doesn't affect us makes it ok to turn away).
there are some complexities though I think, because I think that the stress of the news often makes us feel frustrated for not being to solve things alone, when problems are systemic (the example of feeling guilty about ordering something from amazon when climate breakdown is due in enormous proportion to the actions of a few companies/individuals comes to mind). So I think we simultaneously need to ask questions about responsibility and doing the right thing anyway - e.g. are we single-handedly hold the responsibility to solve an issue like climate breakdown or the erosion of our right to protest? - no; will anything we do individually make any difference to these issues? - a very likely no; should we try and our best individually and collectively to bring about the best solution - yes. It's a complicated thing for us to hold I think.
I also think the logistics of balancing self-care and activism can seem almost impossible (or I certainly haven't worked it out anyway!) and it's very different for different people in terms of tolerance and capacity. there is an anxiety pandemic as far as I can see and I wouldn't be comfortable telling people who experience great anxiety spikes when they read the news that they as individuals need to engage in a certain way. equally perhaps we don't need everyone to be the same kind of activist, or indeed an activist at all ... I'm getting into territory where I'm not quite sure what I think. would love to hear your thoughts!
I read somewhere (can't remember where) that one issue of the New York Times contains more information than a person 400 years ago would have taken in during the course of an entire year. And that is a paper issue, not the continuous barrage that is TV or, even worse, phone-based news! Personally, I am trying to be more informed about my local community, where I can actually make change and affect things for the better. Global news is terrifying and helplessness-inducing for me. I find that generally if something big happens, I will hear about it through friends or family.
This is spectacular Chloe, thank you. As always you have this wonderful way of putting across thoughts that are confused and knotted in my brain. It feels like our minds were not meant for this level of information and understanding of what’s going on elsewhere, and yet, because we can, we have to. Our brains haven’t caught up! And it feels totally paralysing.
thank you so much Lizzie - the thoughts were very knotted in my brain too! this piece was like pulling teeth to write but something in me wanted to persist, I think I was trying to work out what I think but was wading past lots of confusion and beliefs to get there. You're right, we're not built for this (not a fault within us but the design of the platforms). what a learning curve to try and create good habits with it all.
Great post thank you! You made a great point about spiritual and world leaders taking a step back before re-entering the world to change it. On the practical side, I also took the news apps off my phone and read them only on the desktop. Bedroom reserved for fiction or non-fiction travel writing. Escapism rather than doomscrolling before bed!
love it! bedroom sanctuary for reading. I still have the issue of sometimes wanting my phone nearby to listen to a meditation before bed/if I wake in the night. but out of the bedroom is so much better!
I really appreciate these words,Chloe. Thank you. I actually bought a paper yest4for the first time in months because I need the newsprint to line the bunnys' litter tray. I haven't even opened the main bit and have just briefly skimmed the magazine. It's enough for me at the moment, and you articulate what I feel so well.
thank you Lindsay <3 I love a paper! so nostalgic, so much less overwhelming. I think we're all burnt out from the horror. sometimes need to withdraw for a good long while before we're refreshed enough to come back feeling strong enough for it all.
I noticed a pretty large positive change when I cut the “news” out of my life.
I was tired of hearing about the hourly updates of trapped chilean miners or the story that starts with one set of facts (often grossly exaggerated) only to actually get the real story a few days later.
This shift to “slow news” often read in print or heard through others still keeps me informed in some capacity, but at that point it’s a more factual based story not a sensationalized clickbait title.
This is such a great piece Chloe, and echoes so much of how I feel, especially the bit about feeling like a dunce for not knowing more about current affairs. I am so aware that it is an immense privilege to not be directly impacted by a lot of what goes on, but if my nervous system is not settled enough I can’t take on too much or I then become disconnected with my own life and with my little ones. It does feel very selfish at times but I have to have the capacity to hold it and so being selective with what and when I consume in terms of news is essential. Thank you for writing this. Xx
Hi Chloe, I loved this so much! I'm so happy that you wrote this and wish my mum would read it... she has got so wrapped up in the news/trump occurrences, she is making herself physically ill! 🥺
I try to tell her it's not worth getting so wound up and she accuses me of being "ignorant and burying my head in the sand" - This hurts so much and is far from the truth, but she is so distressed and in such a state of high anxiety/fear, that she can't see how badly it's effecting her (and those around her). 😔
She can't (won't) understand how others are not getting as worked up as she is, and when I try to explain my own reasons for taking a step back - to protect my fragile mental wellbeing and enable myself to continue parenting in a calm and measured way - she just gets angry with me and says I should care more and/or be doing more about it! 🙄
Thank you for helping me feel more at peace with my choice to keep a distance from the day to day barrage of hype. I hope people far and wide receive your wise words and it helps them to also feel less guilt for doing what is right for them. ❤️