News Flash, Breaking News, This Just In or Happening now...!
Day in and day out, we are fed mental junk food by the 24 hour news channels. They bombard us with negative news, sensationalized stories and toxic images. Most of the stories are Much to do about nothing, and are presented in a format of Us against Them: left v right, poor v rich, black v white, urban v rural, immigrant v citizen and on and on.
My personal theory is that these stories skewer our perception of reality, desensitizes, polarizes and flat out depresses the watchers. Understand, the mind can not be in a perpetual crisis mode 24/7 without having negative side-effects.
These stations have huge budgets and a relentless need to sell commercials time in order to generate revenue. Therefore, we are constantly fed stories that prey on our emotions to keep us watching.
My personal remedy:
1. Turn off the TV and interact with real folks.
2. Participate in Book/Novel Clubs.
3. Join political action groups and become a part of the process.
4. Enjoy long walks - or the exercise of your choice.
5. When I watch TV, I substitute the healthier HGTV (Home and Garden TV)
Finally, to avoid that craving of being denied my 24 hour news fix, I allow myself to indulge twice a month. The net affects of my 24/7 news diet - restored peace of mind.
P.S.: Other huge benefits of my TV diet and watching HGTV are newly painted kitchen and bathroom, resurfaced oven and newly installed closet doors. I could get use to this. lol
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