Getting over my news addiction
When I moved to Canada in 2007, my English was just good enough to get a job, but I lacked vocabulary and spoke in broken English. I wanted to improve quickly, and the only way was to consume a lot of content. I had to read and listen extensively to enhance my comprehension and expression.
The Economist's reputation for impeccable writing and the inclusion of an audio edition got me to subscribe. At the time I didn't care that much about the international, cultural, or business coverage, I just wanted to consume great written and audio content to increase my mastery of the English language. Over time I came to appreciate the magazine for its wide range of topics, in-depth reporting, sharp copy-editing, and diligent fact-checking.
The Economist's weekly cadence means that it can be more analytical and cover eclectic subjects. Unlike most journals, it was able to avoid the race to the bottom that most press organizations are competing in these days. The rise of the Internet ruined most newspapers, but The Economist survived the past decade relatively unscathed.
I still have an active subscription with 6 months left on it, but as of two weeks ago I stopped reading it. Why? Because I am getting over my addiction to the relentless dopamine delivery machine that is the modern news media.
Reading about what's happening in the world is entertainment disguised as education. Almost nothing I read in the news has had a positive impact on my life: I worry about things I cannot control. It is a waste of time and it depresses me. Political coverage is especially damaging to one's well-being.
After mulling over this for years, two weeks ago I decided to completely cut myself off from the news. I deleted the app from my phone and added economist.com and all my other news sources to my browser's blocking list. I felt like an alcoholic pouring my last bottle of liquor down the drain. It felt empowering.
Since I made the change my life improved. I miss my 15-minute reading session in the morning, but I love getting the extra time and mental space back. When it comes to one's information diet, the news is intellectual junk food, no matter how serious and polished the source is.
Reclaim your time and mental energy: ditch the news and do something more meaningful with it. Even daydreaming is better than consuming an endless stream of unactionable information.