If you’ve looked at the news lately, you’ve probably found yourself exhausted by headlines, several of which seem better fit to come from The Onion or the plot of a “Saturday Night Live” skit rather than The New York Times or The Washington Post. Sometimes the only thing you can do in the moment is laugh, dreading when reality finally settles in and you’re left feeling sick. That routine, day in and day out, is beyond exhausting, and it can feel like there’s no escape.
While “breaking news” is technically a term for “developing news,” it has also become a way to say “this is a huge deal.” So, when everything feels like “breaking news,” how do we find the balance of staying informed? How do we stay away from the extremes of information addiction and willful ignorance? Is it even possible to walk the line between the two worlds?
I think that there’s a way, but it’s a hard balance to find.
It’s okay to take a step back from the news, but it’s not okay to turn away entirely. Saying you’re “apolitical” doesn’t make you sound intellectual or revolutionary. What you’re really communicating is that you’re privileged and unaffected by the current state of the world – and at the heart of it all, you’re lazy. There’s a difference between not having the time and not having the care. Shutting down all politics-related talk or refusing to engage in conversations about current affairs isn’t a solution, it’s a problem.
It’s okay to admit you didn’t hear about something happening or that you don’t have enough information to form an opinion about something. In fact, you should admit when you don’t know enough to form a “proper take” on an issue, or just don’t care enough to. When people think that they know more than they do, we get people like Ezra Klein. People who are passive-aggressive but tiptoe around any sort of conflict or argumentation while insisting bigots were “practicing politics the right way.” They rarely sound like they actually know what they’re talking about to the extent they need to.
On the flip side, news addiction – a subset of internet addiction disorder – is a real threat. Compulsively consuming news not only leads to information overload, but it can lead to mental spirals, especially when the news gets as bad as it is right now. The news can soon take over your life, affecting your sleep, focus and ability to function. When information only causes you upset, you can’t learn from it in a productive way – and what started as staying informed turns harmful.
Being intentional about your news consumption is the best route to take. Avoid clickbait and sensationalization to the best of your ability, and keep ethical standards in mind. Even if you only get your news from a handful of sources, make sure they’re balanced. Get your news outside of social media. While more difficult to find nowadays, reading the news in print compared to online helps dodge the compulsions to click on every link you see.
It’s also important to be mindful about the news you share with others and how you do it. While it might seem like a good way to bring attention to an issue – and the front lines are an important perspective for people to see – when videos of war and political violence populate the Instagram “For You” page, it can lead to desensitization. It’s better to contextualize and explain these types of videos rather than only trying to shock your audience. There are ways to spread awareness that don’t involve turning the suffering of others into content, which exploits the victims as well as pushing people away from the subject entirely because they don’t want to see this kind of content.
As for my own balance, I get The New York Times’ Morning Briefing and The Evening, plus breaking news notifications. I follow a few news outlets on Instagram and sometimes repost news to my story. I balance my time online and offline the best I can, and I make sure to treat myself to little things that make me happy. I’ve started to go back to hobbies and do things I enjoy, trading the time I used to spend in a headline-induced panic for something that I like doing.
In today’s news landscape, we can’t afford for people to burn out and disconnect. We need to stay healthily engaged and informed with world, national and local news. Know how your communities and those of your loved ones are being affected, and show up for causes you care about. Talk with your friends and make a support system. Reach out to hotlines and therapy or counseling services if you need them.
Take the day off if you must, but remember to check back in tomorrow.
Antaine Anhalt is a second-year communication studies major. He can be reached at . If you would like to submit a letter to the editor in response to this piece, email with your idea.
