Operation News Blackout

OK, a news blackout is probably a bit extreme, but me thinks it's time I reduced my news/mass media intake a bit. I think a giant MUTE button for talking heads and doom/gloom journalism and reporting is sorely needed. I've noticed a spike in my anxiety level, and I believe the amount of news I read, watch, click though on the Internet and listen to on NPR is messing with my head. The news is dominated with talking heads and stories screaming about human misery, a collapsing/weather-crazed planet and war. It always seems that some talking head's screaming about how Americans (and by extrapolation me) will be homeless because of the credit crunch, or die of/suffer from starvation/malnutrition because of food prices (OK that's a bit extreme, but it could effect a lot of low-income Americans), or loose jobs because of oil prices and the economy. I happen to work in the great big world of Real Estate right now, and any good news in housing is quickly drowned out by bad. I hear about high oil prices and then see pictures of horrible floods (which are tragic and legitimate news) followed by screaming headlines about how said floods are going to screw our economy and the whole world...and it just makes me tense, sad and, even right now, ready to cry.

I never used to sit at home in dread of driving to work, dealing with bills or buying groceries....this is a very new and to be honest not very rational. I have a wedding in Mexico next month and I'm having a hard time being excited (which I really want to be) because all I can see is the $$$ involved that I don't have or should be saving for the economic Apocalypse the news keeps forecasting. Yesterday as I was partially filling my gas tank (thank you $4.09 a gallon, which I am grateful for after I see almost $5 in CA) they had the NPR Marketplace report playing over the PA system. The Marketplace Evening Report were talking about consumer confidence and the story was fairly lame about how we have it so much better than in the 70's because we are suffering an economic crisis but we are doing it without disco music. Seriously, disco jokes are lame to begin with, and that lame joke did nothing to make my mood lighter, in fact it ticked me off a bit. The only good point in the story was the reporters admitted they (the Media) were partly responsible for American feeling like poo and living in a state of Economic fear because of how and what channels decide to cover.

So to cure this anxiety spike and try to restore balance to my news needs and mental health I'm going to massively cut-back on the mass media news machine for a while. I can't totally release my addiction to NPR, but I can stop watching the massive blocks of evening news and reduce my news site surfing. I don't have cable and I feel overwhelmed by the news, imagine what 5+ channels of 24 hour non-stop news at my fingertips would do to me! Sheesh! I still hope to know what's going on in the world, but just find the balance in it all!