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I feel like a lot of problems in today's world are result of our media constantly pushing negative news towards people. It's all this and that how horrible that is, and that is affecting mental health of people I think. Whats the point of highlighting negative news when nobody can do anything about it ? Reports on murder, theft, and all the bad stuff have been reported all throughout history all to no avail.
I've had a severe toll on my mental health due to reading news all the time and constantly being angry. Why can't media just push positive news ?
RE: The media is ruining this world (in reply to edguerin)
Exactly. As Ed says, you don't have to read it if it makes you feel bad. And it sounds like it does. (I assume you mean what you see as negative journalism in the media, rather than self-obsessed popular media outlets - which some news outlets are of course.)
We can debate if the world has become more appalling, or if we just know more about how appalling the world is. I suspect the latter. Current day medieval crimes against humanity are nothing new. It's the technology that's improved.
But. Do you want a world where these appalling events are brushed over? So, we leave suffering and horror to those innocents on the receiving end? Clearly, on any decent analysis we can't do that. We have a responsibility to be informed and to bring such horror to the notice of the supine world so change can be effected.
Having said that, I do find I am avoiding reading the daily horror about current conflicts. Still do to a lesser extent, but I donate money to organisations who are permanently at the sharp end to help improve the situation. If you do this you are helping change things rather than passively accepting you have no influence. You can do something about it and those small actions may help your perception of yourself as a participant.
I do believe that Humanity's trajectory is to the good. Those who commit crimes will be judged (I don't mean by God ) eventually. It's up to us to make sure we get there.
Posts: 1762
Joined: Jul. 11 2003
From: The Netherlands
RE: The media is ruining this world (in reply to devilhand)
I stopped watching t.v. Only once a day, a teletext on the ipad to see if the nuclear bomb has fallen, that’s all. A lot of spare time to read articles that interest me, answer mail and do some reading, or take a walk in the evening. Misses nothing. All the “important” things will find his way anyway. So, my advice (if I am allowed to take this freedom) try it for a while. Think the next time you see a debate or opinion on the t.v.: “ it is evening, and I watch these guys or galls, would I invite them to my home right now?” is it really worth full to spend time with them, or is it more like chips, comforting to consume without thinking.
RE: The media is ruining this world (in reply to metalhead)
I spent a few days at my fathers in California and he had the local news on every evening and it was non stop negative. There wasn’t any “informative” news. I never did TV, it insulted me when I was ten years a old and it hasn’t improved with age ;) At the time knowing the weather in advance was critical for my paper route but today there are so many non tv sources just a click away.
I stay politically aware but I don’t need to know much and certainly don’t need to hear a politician speak, I instead pay attention to what they do, what laws have they passed or not, the non stop psycho-babble of bobble heads is destructive in so many ways.
Don’t turn off the news only find better ways to acquire it. If it makes you angry it’s not news it’s propaganda that’s designed to make you angry, it’s key feature is to make you give up, to confuse so you don’t make good choices, you instead make their choice.
I take breaks, a month or three, usually before the American holidays as we call them, about after our November elections until February or so.
HR
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I prefer my flamenco guitar spicy, doesn't have to be fast, should have some meat on the bones, can be raw or well done, as long as it doesn't sound like it's turning green on an elevator floor.
Posts: 3456
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: The media is ruining this world (in reply to metalhead)
quote:
Whats the point of highlighting negative news when nobody can do anything about it ?
In capitalist society "The media" is a business: a collection of competing corporations. They make money by attracting the attention of consumers, packaging it, and selling it to advertisers. An essential element of a media corporation's success is its ability to attract your attention.
It is well known that bad news attracts more attention than good news. We slow down to stare at a traffic accident. We maintain our speed while everyone is successfully cooperating.
Competition for your attention drives media corporations toward efficiency in attracting it. If you're watching media, you're going to get a lot of bad news.
RE: The media is ruining this world (in reply to Ricardo)
Yeah, traditional and social media have gone down the drain. I can't believe how now the weather channel / weather apps have to show news (and of course, only about how a tornado killed several people - never about how nice weather is helping people feel more optimistic, for example). I last owned a TV fifteen years ago...
Posts: 2732
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England
RE: The media is ruining this world (in reply to Ricardo)
I was scrolling down.... eager to post the george carlin bad news clip!! (My favourite) Only to find you'd already done it Ricardo! 🤣
I wanna see a paint factory explode!!!! I was see a tornado, hit a church, on Sunday! 😂
Another comedian hero of mine says.... true freedom only comes when you give in to the realisation that your are completely and utterly ****ed. (Paraphrase) but basically saying. You can't do anything about the pain of existence in this wild society and the forces that govern it and us.(The media being one of them)
Lots of doctors best advice to patients suffering with stress is to stop watching the news!
Posts: 3470
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC
RE: The media is ruining this world (in reply to Stu)
quote:
Another comedian hero of mine says.... true freedom only comes when you give in to the realisation that your are completely and utterly ****ed. (Paraphrase) but basically saying. You can't do anything about the pain of existence in this wild society and the forces that govern it and us.
Speaking of "freedom," when the great writer from Crete Nikos Kazantzakis (who wrote "Zorba the Greek" among many other works) died the Greek Orthodox Church refused him burial rites, considering him an apostate. He is buried on a hill in Crete, and the epitaph on his tombstone reads, in Greek: "I have no hope, I have no fear. I am free."
Bill
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And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East."
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) eventually. It's up to us to make sure we get there.
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