The delivery of the news today seems to be a far cry from the days when we could choose what we were exposed to and when to be exposed. We had organized media available to us in the form of three venues: television, radio and newspapers/magazines. The only other way to pick up the news and current events was maybe introduced through lively discussions from friends and/or family.
Today, we are over-saturated with news, coupled with the opinions of strangers, on a 24/7 basis with what appears to be not much of a real life break in between. I feel as if we are being suffocated with words, photos, and opinions that do more than just report the news. They appear to be designed to illicit an emotion with no gray area for our personal discrepancy. What passes across my screen every day is indicative of what I refer to as "friendly bickering." The posting of opinions as news, and asking followers to join them in their opinions whether we are prepared for them or not.
According to 2015 statistics, 68% of the American public have smartphones and 35% have some sort of tablet and/or e-reader. That means that these opinions and "news report" that streams through is more directed to appeal to our emotions rather than our reason. It becomes more about reacting to the news than it is responding to it. Additionally, do we even know if what percentage of what we read/saw was reliable?
There is no break from the emotion, so even if you tune out for your job or for meals or family time, the moment you get back to that smartphone, tablet or computer you will pick up where you left off. But it may not have been by your choice. The news is not always good, and it's horrible when it's reported on social media. After all, the idea is to grab your interest as a follower so the more people play with words for shock value, the more people gravitate to your posts. That's costing us our "real living time," as I call it. And that cost is filled with misinformation that causes us undue stress. The news already has it's challenges. We don't need it to interrupt life just for a reaction. When you have time to receive and absorb words, you create balance. When you are over-saturated by words (and pictures), the feeling is one of confusion and stress.
The suggestions below may prove helpful as a means to create balance with what news is shared with you. I am a believer that balance eases stress.
1.Subscribe to reputable news/information sources so that the current events you get are not muddled by the opinions of others you meet on social media. Make sure to schedule them so you receive them at a time when you are ready to receive this information.
2.Don't waste your time commenting on the hot button topics in your streams, like politics, religion and rights.You may not be "heard" via your comments in the way you expected.
3.If you find you must get involved with a cause, don't comment on someone else's post. Instead, put up a positive post of your own that shares your thoughts. The less time you spend online commenting, the more balance available to you.
4.If the person in a post is a stranger to you, simply click "like" in agreement, if that's what you feel. If you don't agree, then move on, as there is no real reason to debate with strangers. It's not like you are going to change anyone's mind.
Every day I do my best to change the way I am approaching people and interacting in social media. The late Dr. Wayne Dyer said, "Change the way you see things, and the things you see will change," and I believe that to be very true. Tweak your habits online regarding how you receive news and current events, and you will most likely find a happier balance in what you are absorbing.