Health & Fitness
When News is Not News
Are you burned out from reading everything that's going on in the world?
The big news last week was New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, he of the self-writing headline. We all know what’s going on there, so I’m not going to recap the scandal. More importantly, I never even should’ve known about Carlos Danger because I’m not:
A. Anthony Weiner’s wife
B. The creeped-out recipient of a Weiner text
Find out what's happening in Mauldinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
C. Voting in the NYC mayoral race
D. Any of the above
Find out what's happening in Mauldinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
For all of the good that the internet offers (iTunes, social media, auction sites full of Evel Knievel toys) there’s an equal amount of bad. The intergooglewebtubes brings us together like never before, which is a mixed blessing.
We’ve become a culture where all news is our news, which not only is overwhelming but also crazy talk. News connotes information that bears some importance to our lives. My kids’ report cards are news to me, but not to you. Corruption in my local government is definitely news, but corruption in your local government? That might be important to me but more than likely it’s just juicy gossip. I may want to know about your local scandal, but it doesn’t affect me.
News is sort of like those Russian nesting dolls. The smallest doll is the 24/7 James channel – whether I’m hungry, thirsty, tired, etc. Next up is my family, then maybe my neighborhood, city, county, state, country, and finally the world. The bigger the doll, the more carefully I need to filter. Does a car accident in Japan impact my life? If it was caused by a defect in the model of car I drive, maybe. Does a Japanese nuclear accident affect my life? Most likely – I need to pay attention to that one.
So if you’re experiencing information fatigue, try reconsidering what you’re labeling “news.” You’ll find that you have more time to bid on Evel Knievel toys once you’ve dismissed the Kardashians, Prince Georges, and Weiners from your purview. You’ll also find yourself more engaged in the stories you read because they actual matter to you.
And with that I return you to the Patch homepage for some real news.