I fell off the wagon again last month. I reverted back to one of the worst addictions for our health and that of others. I started reading and watching the news again, that nasty addiction that we are supposed to believe is totally normal.
However, unlike other nasty addictions like tobacco, heroine, and social media, society (not coincidentally fueled by the news media) tells us that intelligent people watch and read the news, as do people who are keeping up to date, progressive, and responsible citizens. I beg to differ based on my personal experience and that of most people around me.
Nowhere in this rhetoric, does anyone discuss the fact that the news thrives on ads and the constant push for consumerism. Tim Wu thoroughly warned us of this in 2017, in his book The Attention Merchants. The news media tried hard to get inside our heads as it portrays certain stories in certain ways to keep us coming back to devour more of these ads. In other words, regardless of the material news shows and sites are discussing, the media needs us to return; it needs us addicted to whatever we can be addicted to, and more often than not, this addiction is an addiction to outrage. Let me repeat: the news needs us outraged, addicted, and coming back for more. It has us going to the water cooler at work and saying “can you believe that [insert outrage here].” It does not care what this addiction does to us, as this selfish monster strives only for its well-being, and notably, this well-being gets greater the worse ours sinks. The medium thrives on our addiction, our sickness, pouring into our eyes and ears much like heroine into the veins of addicts, and this addiction is strong. Some would argue it is stronger than heroine as it is all around us at all times, only a click away.
These sources eventually aim to replace our thought process with pure reflex, and that reflex is outrage. Worse off, it is mob-bating, promoting tribalism, and pushing individuals to identify with some group and chastise the “other”. All of these motives are obviously unhealthy for both the individual and society and eventually cause significant tension and conflict within our minds, slowly degrading our mental health. Besides the obvious issues with these tactics, the addiction to the message that follows is equal in its issues.
These sources thrive on telling us about our enemies and objects of anxiety. These enemies may shape shift and change forms quite frequently, and even may disappear for decades (remember the terrorists after September 11? – that news-feed kept my poor anxious grandmother glued to the screen and sleeping poorly for years, only to vanish in thin air) but one thing is consistent: according to the news we should be frightened to death of these enemies and anxious about them all day, every day. To not be afraid or anxious means we do not need the news, and that would mean we stop watching it and they cannot sell us their ads and related products and services. We win, our health wins, but they lose. This is, of course, is far from what they would want, so we need to keep watching.
After years of abstinence, the current vortex of absolute insanity whirling around society like a newspaper in a tornado pulled me back in with great force. I found myself watching clips on YouTube and reading online news sources. I am busy as is with my work and family, and I found my other hobbies, like reading and writing, fading away as they were replaced with this nasty addiction.
I realized this at the beginning of October. I denied it first, much like an alcoholic or drug addict…. Where will you get information? I asked myself, the same pointless banter that sheep in the past used to ask me when I explained that I did not watch the news, as if important information discussed at work, by my friends and peers, and at every hallway at work or the farmer’s market would not somehow make its way to me. I need to see it firsthand on the news or read it on CNN or some other online site that survives by spoon feeding the public brainless and biased banter. I need the heroine directly injected into my veins – well, eyes – from these sites. Or at least that is what we are led to believe – it is up to us to take the bait or swim on.
I usually spend my mornings with coffee and my hour before bed reading. Last month I read one book. My lowest in years. This month, I had 4 to discuss in my newsletter. When I avoid the news, I have a surprising amount of time to engage in constructive activities, as opposed to rotting my brain, getting brainwashed, and getting outraged. I even have time to read books and form my own opinions as opposed to having them force-fed to me!
To my readers: I promise to never fall into the addictive outrage vortex propagated by online media sources. I had a moment of weakness, but I worked my way out of it. I/we are now all better for it.
A confession: I used to – in private at least – refer to the news and online media sources as fodder for morons. The truth is, I believe it. I really do. Well, maybe not as harshly and I think the news is more fodder for addicts, and our society continues to tell us we should be addicted to this fodder. And after reading On Becoming a Person this month, Carl Rogers convinced me that it is important, actually vital, for me to be totally transparent with others, and now I am. The news and media are addictive substances. They are destructive to no end. I am a very disciplined person and I have seen it get the best of me repeatedly. Social media sources like Facebook and Twitter thrive on this, and are even worse as they throw in more controversy and sensationalism to rev up the outrage and get us more addicted.
I have never tried heroine, but I tried online news and media. I was an addict. But now I know their evils and to treat their destructive addiction the same.
*Photo by StuartMiles from Freerange Stock
© 2021 CDR Health and Nutrition, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
So true. I regularly turn off everything and it’s amazing how calm my life becomes. In April 2020 before the Covid crap started ramping up I was in a mess of anxiety and fear from a health issue and the politics of the coming election. I was just sick and tired of being outraged and fearful so ALL of it went off. I tried to engage with the virus stuff then a bit but that just made me more afraid so I never watched or read my usual sources of so called news again. I still don’t. That first summer of Covid was my calmest ever. I live in a country community with plenty of nature sites that did not shut down. I walked all the time and plein air painted often plus made a new painting friend and a walking friend. Got into the sun and fresh air. I seemed to know what I needed to know without engaging in the MSM. I’m a 73 yo woman ketoish for 3 years. I got Covid last February but was like a slight cold. Antibody test still shows robust immunity but I worked immediately when the crazy started to get HEALTHIER. I have always been doing that. I last got the flu in 1998. I always forget to get flu shots also. Worked at a public library with all sorts of hacking, coughing adults and snotty kids. Never got sick. While my friends and family panicked and got less healthy this last year and a half, I look at mainly health information and did my research on the shots. No thank you. Not engaging with all the brainwashing kept me clear eyed and clearheaded enough to make the best decisions for me. Thanks for your newsletters. I get good food for thought. I followed you from my Paleo days. Best to you and your lovely family.
Thank you so much! Stay sane out there!!
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