Getting mad about trolls saying controversial things is not being informed, it’s feeding the trolls.
Its much easier to just read actual news (when laws are passed, deals are made and things happen).
Wish we had labels for that
Its much easier to just read actual news
Being informed is only as useful as the news is actionable. If you’re trapped, foreknowledge only produces anxiety. You’re a rat trapped in a room with an electric floor. All you can do is be afraid (or sublime) in anticipation of the next shock.
A great deal of our news media is reported as unactionable. These aren’t warnings that you can use to prepare, to fight, or to flee. They aren’t calls to action or hints toward future research. You can’t do anything with these headlines, save to slot them away for a future trivia night.
I struggle with this daily. And it’s barely been a month. Only 47 more to go.
The math
It hurts
Oh man, y’all be careful saying you’re avoiding politics on Lemmy, people get real mad. Like dude, it’s draining, leave me alone
I thought I recognised your username. To clarify, again, avoiding the news is not avoiding politics. Politics is everything.
How you interact with friends and family is politics. How you pay for your groceries and where you buy them from is politics.
You’re avoiding the news. Theatre. You’re not avoiding politics. Saying you’re avoiding politics is like saying you’re avoiding philosophy or science, you can’t.
But sure, have your victim complex and say that people get real mad at you, that’s fine.
But sure, have your victim complex and say that people get real mad at you, that’s fine.
“I went online and now I’m a victim!” folks are the ones who need to log off the most. Unfortunately, they’re also the ones who seem clinically incapable of not posting.
Dude, let it go.
We, like, live in a society man
I’m pretty sure that’s the plan. I think there’s even a name for it? Keep us so overloaded with fucked up news that we just zone out and let them carry on with their christo fascist nazi agenda.
I’ve heard “firehose of falsehoods” but I think it’s not the same, just a related tactic. Overall they are trying to keep the people who care news-weary, and it’s working
Let them? Sounds like you still think you are in charge.
‘Flood the zone’ it’s called I think.
I just flooded all over my zone.
Oh man. I just stopped with everything. My soul hurts and I need a break. Sometimes ignorance is good.
Yep, I scrubbed all my feeds for this reason. I have enough friends that post the lowlights to group chats anyway, that’s already more than enough of the bile for me.
My attitude is that big news always gets through any filters. If i filter out Trump’s name, I’m still going to see things like “Canada proposes counter US tariffs” or “[My State’s Governor] details plans for medical spending in absence of federal aid” or “Selena Gomez bares it all in tiktok about raids”. At that point I can say “what tariffs, what funding, what raids?” and go find out what’s happening. And if aliens invade the planet in an emergent breaking story, the group chat will pop off, I can tailor my daily meme experience toward being pleasant
Pretty big brain right there I’ve gotta say
I need to see the political equivalent of headlines like “Main Street is on fire” but don’t need to read every article for every sad topic.
look around you for meaningful things you can have an influence on, what the “news” serves is just a perpetual source of grounds for you to be angry but feel powerless about it.
This… and I didn’t know how to reconcile it…
That’s what feels different for me this time. Before I took a break and came back fine. This time … I just don’t know… Every day is worse.
And that’s WITH limitations on social media, getting outside more, medication and spending more time with family.
(It’s like the therapist scene from Office Space)
You take a break for your mental health. Then you come back to the fight when you’re well.
Sounds easy, but I can’t manage not to look. I am morbidly curious and all it takes is to open my feed reader app.
This one hit hard
I’m not the President, and I need to go away.
