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AIBU?

Are we being unreasonable to never watch the news?

115 replies

ConfusedWife1234 · 14/08/2018 21:01

AWBU to never watch the news but only watch Netflix because we think we learn all news from the internet or because somebody tells us... and because the news aren‘t actually very cheerful most days
So one day we just gave up watching the news.

OP posts:

Report

MsAwesomeDragon · 14/08/2018 22:56

I don't really watch the news, as you know because I said it on the other thread.

Obviously I don't think it's unreasonable.

I do somehow manage to know most of the important things that are going on in the world and things that affect me in a personal or professional capacity. Sometimes DH mentions something, sometimes I spot a thread on here, some things get mentioned at work. But if nobody mentions a news item to me, I'm pretty happy to live without knowing it.

IcanMooCanYou · 14/08/2018 23:01

I can't remember the last time I watched the news and they told me something I hadn't already heard about. So no you are nbu

ConfusedWife1234 · 14/08/2018 23:01

Exactly this. I really wonder how I benefit from knowing what is going on in Brazil or South Africa to pick two random examples..

OP posts:

ConfusedWife1234 · 14/08/2018 23:02

@MsAwesomeDragon

OP posts:

Jackieyoulooknice · 14/08/2018 23:03

I don't watch the news as I find it depressing.

SimonBridges · 14/08/2018 23:03

I don’t watch the news but I do read news sites online and listen to the news on the radio.

Personally I find that a lot of the news is stuff that really I don’t need to know about. For example, this motorway bridge in Italy, I don’t need to know about that. It’s nothing but rubber necking.

Biologifemini · 14/08/2018 23:04

I think you are a little unreasonable.
You need to know what is going on in order to vote at the very least.
I suppose if you read the paper you get the news anyway so not like you are ignoring the world! But I find it strange when people don’t know what is going on and never read or watch the news. It is what I like chit chatting about.

catstring · 14/08/2018 23:10

I'm going to stop reading or watching any news. It just makes me anxious and sad and there's not a damn thing I can do except be as good a person as I can. It all seems so scary and apocalyptic, climate change, antibiotic resistance, Trump etc. I'd lay awake worrying about my kids and their kids. Who needs that in their lives.
Head in sand, enjoy day to day. I'm a much better person for it and whilst I'm not saying there's no truth in these things, the media does like to stir up fear.
Sex used to sell, now it's fear. Keep us all on edge and buying more shit to sooth that fear

MsAwesomeDragon · 14/08/2018 23:25

biologi when there's an election I look into politics and the various parties to see how to vote.

I was very well informed about Brexit. I knew quite a lot about the Scottish independence referendum when it was going on, and I don't even live in Scotland! I keep a general eye on education, because I'm a teacher so need to know a bit about education policies.

It's not like I don't know anything about the world around me, I just don't watch/read the news on a regular basis. I dip in here and there, as and when I need/want to engage.

BonnieF · 14/08/2018 23:26

I can understand why some people might find the news depressing, irrelevant or boring, but I still think we have a duty to try to inform ourselves about important issues which may influence the way we vote.

I try to cover a variety of news outlets, so I can get the ‘establishment’ view from the BBC or the Times, and various degrees of ‘anti-establishment’ views from the Guardian, Breitbart etc. It’s very important to read stuff you disagree with, because it helps to substantiate your own opposing view, eg that a soft Brexit would cause some problems, but a no-deal Brexit would be an economic disaster for Britain.

Dollymixture22 · 14/08/2018 23:30

I keep up to date online and occasionally watch the news.

I think if you have older children it is important to discuss current affairs at home occasionally and watching the news together is a good way to start a conversation - but not every night!!!

LiveLifeWithPassion · 14/08/2018 23:32

I never watch the news. A lot of it is very distressing but the way News is presented now is very dramatic and sensationalist. I find It’s not just reporting but really trying to be as emotive as possible.
It might be a good thing on one level but I don’t know if many of us can cope with so much trauma, especially for those who have a lot of empathy.
I do like to keep informed though and will read news sites and articles.

MsAwesomeDragon · 14/08/2018 23:34

Actually, dolly you've just reminded me that I do keep up with the news more often during term time. I do the newsround weekly news quiz every Friday during term time, with my form at school. It's not full, in depth news, but it's enough to spark a conversation about the world around us.

catstring · 14/08/2018 23:36

LiveLifewithPassion very well put and my thoughts exactly.
In fact this prompted me to delete my news app. Sick of reading about impending climate disaster, it makes me feel hopeless.

Ignoramusgiganticus · 14/08/2018 23:38

The news makes me anxious. I prefer to be in my happy bubble of ignorance. Obviously I pick up most things along the way but in a less sensationalist way.

DontCallMeCharlotte · 14/08/2018 23:56

I was very well informed about Brexit

You were about the only person who was then!

LoisWilkerson1 · 15/08/2018 00:03

Keeping up with current affairs is really important. Yabu unless you have some other source? I judge people who don't know basic things about world events. It takes five minutes of watching the headlines to know enough.

AcrossthePond55 · 15/08/2018 00:03

I live in the US. The attitude that 'the news is upsetting' or 'I get my information from others' is how Trump got elected.

Knowledge is power. It's important to stay informed, not only about local events and politics, but about global affairs.

bumblingbovine49 · 15/08/2018 00:04

I don't watch the news and doing always keep up with it via other means so I do find sometimes hear about big things quite late and people are incredulous that I don't know what is happening

RoseWhiteTips · 15/08/2018 00:07

I read the news online as opposed to watching it. I think you have to be informed but I have an aversion to the newsreader clones. They annoy me intensely.

Muddlingalongalone · 15/08/2018 00:07

In principle the news on news sites is the same as the news so no need to actually watch the news, but if you are getting your news from social media only I'd be wary not so much of #fakenews but more of the narrowness of what you are seeing.

In my opinion it makes society very insular when nobody cares about what's going on around them & in a global marketplace it's important to understand other cultures/histories. Today's world events are tomorrow's historical events and therefore have an influence on the future. I think it's sad and reflects our increasingly me me me selfish society. I also think that historically smaller insular nations don't fare well.

I don't think my world events knowledge is as broad as it was when I read a paper cover to cover even with watching the Ness and reading online newspapers, because you move on quicker when it's clicks.

I'm quite passionate about this topic as you can see from my essay

LoisWilkerson1 · 15/08/2018 00:09

Al Jazeera is probably one of the best news sources. Not sensationalist in the slightest. Very interesting documentaries too. Or listen to the BBC World Service

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Muddlingalongalone · 15/08/2018 00:09

loiswilkerson1 & acrossthepond said that far more succinctly than me!

Rednaxela · 15/08/2018 00:12

The news has got bugger all to do with "informing" oneself in order to vote.

The news is not an accurate representation of the world. Who do you think decides what is news? Who do you think decides what words to use to describe the items?

"Mentally ill man murders innocent woman"
"Terror attack in London"

Same item
Different spin.

It is a worldview shoved down our throats. It has the exact opposite effect to the one it claims to have. It does not broaden our knowledge. It tells us what and HOW to think.

YANBU

RoseWhiteTips · 15/08/2018 00:13

Okaaay

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