Why I'm Going to Quit Watching the News

Do you remember when CNN first came on the scene? If not, that's okay because you are seeing the results of the seed of that very first 24 hours a day news station ripen. There are at least five full time news channels. Six if you want to include the Weather Channel on the cable feed that comes into our home. So the trap is set. We unwittingly fall into this trap when we begin to watch the news more than other programming.

But it's good to be informed, right? Up to a certain point it is. For instance, say you watch the news and it makes you so angry that you start screaming. When the news affects you in this manner, your blood pressure rises, you get an adrenaline rush and this is not good for you. We have enough stress in our lives already. If you spend too many hours in front of the television, you probably aren't getting the exercise and proper sleep that you need to stay healthy.

For some people the reality of the news is much more interesting than regular programming. They even find it to be downright entertaining.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of bad news on the television which can put us in a stress mode. You might find yourself unable to sleep at night because you're worrying about the economy. The problem is that we can't control these events so why dwell on them.

It's also thought that it's not just sitting in front of a television for long periods of time that's unhealthy for us, but also when we spend long hours in front of the computer screen. So not only should we limit our children's time in front of a television or computer screen, but it's a good idea to limit our own time in front of these devices as well. Get the kids and go outside and play. Run around, be crazy, and laugh.

I long for the good ole days when news came only on the local news station. Only a few hours of news spread over an entire day.

So I think I'm going to stop watching the news. I'll probably have to cut back slowly so I don't go into withdrawal, but in the long run I'll be a happier person. Instead of the news I'll get my exercise in by going for a walk. This is much more fun and good for me.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_overload
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/fashion/sundaystyles/12news.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122620054