I read a lot of news: the New York Times, CNN, the local newspaper; I'd make the rounds all day every day. I wanted to stay informed, to know what's happening in the world around me. I fully understand that most of it doesn't apply to me, and it biases me toward what's in the news, but it's better to be informed than not, right?
Then I read Rolf Dobelli's "Avoid News: Towards a Healthy News Diet". Wow. I had no idea what I was doing to myself.
I had thought about this before--I had read enough of The Black Swan to hear the basic argument that news is unhelpful--but Dobelli's article crystallized the concepts in a way that really struck me. Even though I was fully aware of how little the news items directly affect me, Dobelli points out that the repeated process of reading the news still takes its toll. And I have noticed my ability to concentrate, while not shot, is not as strong as it used to be.
Hence this blog. I've taken Dobelli's advice and gone cold turkey from news. This blog is meant to document the effects--the good, the bad, and the ugly--from cutting myself off from news consumption. I'll also talk about what I do to fill the time, and anything else that comes to mind (including all those brilliant ideas I'll have now that my mind is free of news clutter!).
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