I don’t watch the news, I don’t read a newspaper, I don’t listen to the radio and I don’t surf the web looking for anything newsworthy. The constant negation that seeps through the news really bothers me so I have chosen to not let it be a part of my life. I’m healthier because of that. However, I do know who Obama is, I do know what’s going on in Haiti, I understand what’s happened to our economy, I do know that the healthcare bill passed, I do know about the swine flu epidemic, etc. etc.
Perhaps I don’t know about any of these things in incredible detail, but I know of them, mostly because of word of mouth and people talking about them on websites such as Fluther. I choose not to indulge in conversations about politics, religion, government and economics, etc. often because none of it is appealing to me and I won’t debate over something I don’t know much about.
However, I’m not opposed to learning a thing or two about any current events if someone is willing to teach me. I like information. Information is good. Information is my friend.
Has it done me any harm to not follow closely with current events? No.
Do I think it makes me pathetic? No.
Does it mean I reject reality? Hell no. I’m a realist and I always have been. I choose to see things for how they really are and I don’t need to watch the news everyday in order for that to happen.
I think it means that I have other priorities that I’ve put first, that are either more important to me or more interesting to me. There’s nothing wrong with that.
I still allow myself to be informed of certain things that are newsworthy, but I refuse to drown in them. I became a much more positive person after I focused away from what was going on in the media/news. I’m happier. If anything, not keeping a close eye on current events has been entirely helpful, not harmful.