Why You Should Stop Consuming News

Rolf Dobelli - Bestseller Author & Entrepreneur – Premium Speakers

The Swiss entrepreneur and author Rolf Dobelli penned an essay on why we should limit or even eliminate our consumption of news. Having abstained from news consumption for years, Dobelli argues that news is a toxin for the brain and intellect. The craving for news, he suggests, is both unhealthy and addictive, infringing upon our freedom and control over our lives.

According to Dobelli, "Today, we are at the same point with news as we were with fast food twenty years ago."

15 Reasons Why You Should Stop Consuming News

1. News Leads Us Astray

Our primal brains excessively react to dramatizations and scandals, ignoring complexity and detail. News outlets exploit this because they need to sell advertising, and provocative headlines grab our attention. This emphasis on inconsequential matters displaces more important issues, leading to a misjudgment of their importance—an effect psychologists call "availability bias."

2. News Is Irrelevant

Most news has little to no impact on our quality of life. For every useful piece of news, how much irrelevant content do we consume? This isn't a fair exchange. News outlets—and not consumers—decide what's relevant, often choosing stories that promise attention over substance.

3. News Limits Understanding

News items, designed to be consumed quickly, do not explain the causation behind world events. Consequently, relying solely on news stories to understand the world is worse than avoiding news entirely.

4. News Is Harmful to Our Bodies

Constant news exposure activates our limbic system, reduces immune system efficiency, and increases stress hormones like cortisol, potentially leading to anxiety, aggression, and sensitivity.

5. News Amplifies Systematic Cognitive Errors

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Our selection of news is biased. We choose stories aligning with our beliefs and ignore contradictory information, a phenomenon known as "confirmation bias" and "story bias."

6. News Alters Brain Structure

Regular news consumption trains our brains to crave more shallow content over deep engagement with complex issues, changing the way we process information.

7. News Inhibits Thinking

Effective thinking requires concentration, and news consumption trains our brains for short-term information processing, thus hampering our ability to focus and understand complex matters.

8. News Wastes Time

News consumption not only devours time but also distracts from the tasks at hand, impeding productivity and cognitive performance long after the news reading has ceased.

9. News Makes the Insignificant Famous

News often spotlights trivial personalities over individuals with genuine societal contributions, skewing the public's perception of value and success.

10. News Depends on Journalists

Many journalists produce content hastily, focusing more on speed than quality or depth of analysis, with much of the content being recycled from other inadequate sources.

11. News May Contain False Facts and Predictions

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Fact-checking is time-consuming and expensive, resulting in a prevalence of unsubstantiated reports and inaccurate forecasts in the news.

12. News Manipulates

News has become a tool for mass influence, often masking deception and manipulation, which is not as easily detectable in its presented format.

13. News Encourages Passivity

Constant exposure to events beyond our control can lead to "learned helplessness," a psychological state that fosters resignation and diminishes proactive behavior.

14. News Kills Creativity

By restricting focused thought and concentration, news consumption hinders creativity, preventing the development of new ideas and inventions.

15. News Gives an Illusion of Compassion

Although news can provide a sense of connection to global happenings, true empathy and participation arise through action, not observation.

In summary, reducing news consumption can free up time, foster tranquility, and allow us to engage more profoundly with our immediate surroundings and the people in our lives. When thinking about travel, for instance, imagine the peace and authenticity of experiencing new cultures without the constant intrusion of global news updates. Unplugging from news can make our travels—and our lives—richer and more meaningful, untainted by the sensationalism of mass media.