How to manage the mental somersaults, avoiding brain damage and brain rewiring from reading news?

[Brian Hall]

Yes, I think that's sensible too. What about certain ideological material, for example religious extremism or Nazism that advocates genocide of other ethnic groups?

Not something that children should hear about in schools other than teaching the history of who the Nazis were and the horrible crimes they committed. I don't think grade school kids need to hear about things like that. That should wait for an appropriate age. Like many other things. That should be common sense to any normal/reasonable adult.

Teachers should definitely not be advocating for Nazism, communism, socialism or any other belief system. That is not their job.

Adults should be able to voice their opinions to other adults even when we hate what they are saying unless they are advocating for violence against innocent people.

I think there should always be free and open debate when opinions differ. Get all the evidence out in the open. Trying to cut off debate or hide evidence is something people do when they know they are wrong and their opinions or arguments can't stand the light of day. Get all the evidence out in the open and see what is true and what isn't.

If your set of "facts" are true, it should be easy to defend them and you should welcome the debate instead of trying to silence people who disagree.

*not referring to you or anyone else here personally when I use the words "you" and "your".

The problem with "religious extremism" is with who is doing the defining. As long as a religion is not advocating for killing or harming others, they should not be censored, no matter how crazy or silly their beliefs may seem to me. I could be wrong. The people who believe in "The Flying Spaghetti Monster" may turn out to have been right.

 

[RayDunzl]

I wish I could.

Start here:

SAC/ACVV - Soaring Association of Canada

The official website of the Soaring Association of Canada. Promoting, enhancing, and protecting the sport of soaring in Canada.

www.sac.ca

Canadian Clubs - Soaring Association of Canada

Find the club affiliated with the Soaring Association of Canada nearest you.

www.sac.ca

 

[Ze Frog]

I gave up on mainstream news years ago and never read any mainstream media and never watch it because I don't do TV except Amazon Prime (very rarely), or DVD/Blu-ray.

It's actually scary how the media has become, and it's actually a major national security threat in many ways as by pushing certain narratives where even the most loyal subjects start disbelieving what's being said they get pushed towards other sources. Not everyone has the ability or inclination to balance their news intake from both sides of the argument which is highly dangerous to people's own intellect and possibly national security as many will literally start looking for the entire opposite of what they are being pushed and find themselves almost subconsciously pushed to the complete opposite side of the spectrum by the very propaganda that was meant to do the entire opposite. Add in that social media is full of people creating fake news or hyping dividing views for the sake of money and attention and we have a massive problem coming in regards to the youth especially who largely rely on short format types of content which deliberately serve to shorten an attention span and make even serious issues a small couple of minutes piece of brain rot devoid of any facts whatsoever.

I'm astounded at just how security and intelligence services can't see that there's a massive problem already well and truly created. The thing media seems to forget that propaganda and narrative only works if you base it on at least some kind of fact, and occasionally throw facts in to keep up the charade. It's evidently clear though that outside of independents that journalism is dead, there is nothing anymore than the line that has been decided elsewhere and it's blatantly obvious when certain scenarios have news media from many different parts of the world even using the same script. Plus to be honest, mainstream journalists just fail to represent the readership and any questions they may have, which defeats the object of journalism.

 

[Pe8er]

What do you think about this?

https://www.newsminimalist.com/

 

[Blumlein 88]

What do you think about this?

https://www.newsminimalist.com/

Interesting idea. Will check it out further.

 

[RayDunzl]

What do you think about this?

https://www.newsminimalist.com/

The highest rated article seems to be:

 

[JustJones]

This thread is getting close to being shut down as this isn't the forum for some of the stuff I've read in it. In certain instances there simply isn't two equal sides to disagreements and to pretend otherwise is foolish at best. Tolerance in a society only works when dealing with rational arguments. When the gates are being overrun by violence instigated by propaganda uttered by loud mouthed thugs then civil discourse parading under the canard of "both sidesism" is nothing more than farce. I have no problem sifting through the chaff. So we're left with the paradox of tolerance. It's up to us if we remain a tolerant society or succumb to the mob as so many have.

"Less well known is the paradox of tolerance: Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. — In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by the use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant.

Karl Popper


Now the mods can close or delete the thread.

 

[anotherhobby]

Back in 2017 I decided I wouldn't be any further part of the monkey brain scrolling society that had seemingly already taken over the world, with everybody's heads permanently dipped down looking at the sad little rectangle in their hands, and I bowed out. I killed the social media accounts I had, and I removed every monkey brain app from my phone. To this day, there are no apps on my phone to tug on that lever in the brain to draw me back in, I remain off social media, and I avoid the comments sections everywhere. The only places I directly engage with society on the Internet are in hobby forums like this one.

Yes, I made myself a bubble. I had to. A person can be fine, but people are awful. With the noise turned down on all the angry, argumentative, flippant, random voices of the Internet that I don't give 2 shits about, it's become much easier to handle carefully chosen sources of news information.

 

[Pe8er]

The highest rated article seems to be:

View attachment 355027

Interesting, how come I'm seeing this?

 

[antcollinet]

This thread is getting close to being shut down as this isn't the forum for some of the stuff I've read in it.

STOP DOING IT THEN FFS. Read the first post

 

[JustJones]

STOP DOING IT THEN FFS. Read the first post

I read the first post, then those that followed. It should have been shut down way before I posted.

 

[RayDunzl]

Interesting, how come I'm seeing this?
View attachment 355032

I see this (still):

The "highest scoring" article, with a score of 7.7, is the Amazon blurb.

Interesting, how come I'm seeing this?

View attachment 355032

 

[Jimbob54]

I removed myself from most of the news cycle during Covid and have no desire to pick it up again. I started listening to history audiobooks at night instead of news radio. Helps me sleep far better and I am learning more.

 

[Philbo King]

No mention of actual news stories in the thread is the rule. This thread is only about recognition of the issue, self management, harm reduction, coping skills and knowing when to set the news articles aside and go to do stuff that is wholesome and positive thinking? Have you escaped the news for greener pastures, do you daily keep up to speed on the current events? Myself I reached the point that I need to escape for awhile and do something wholesome. I took a 1 month community course in mindfulness/meditation and the meditation part was OK but I learned better more effective skills in martial arts training that I studied some time ago. I read stuff that interfered with my sleep habits or I was not sleeping at all and it changed my entire view of humanity. After a couple of weeks of serious contemplation I have come to some level of closure, forgiveness and improved trust and faith but the brain damage has been done. What is your take on the matter?

I avoid watching news on TV. I do read ars-nova, BBC & NPR once a day, but I always keep in mind that news is not impartial, ever...
Like history, news is written by the ones in power.

 

[RayDunzl]

News?

My "at home" mental activity consists of trading a single (usually) contract of $5 Dow Futures.

This is my "spending money" account.

I take note of when scheduled economic news will occur, because price can be quite turbulent at those times, but don't try to make any sense of it.

I watch the price chart, and trade via "technical analysis" - which would be mostly study/experience of "how price moves".

And read ASR.

Here's the overnight chart (since 6pm yesterday), with scheduled "news" at 8:30am today causing nearly a 200 point ($1000 on a single contract) swing.

The scheduled news:

I like trading it because it is always moving (for whatever "reason") during the day, and there is a general tendency for it to revisit old price levels giving the opportunity to "get out" if I guess wrong.

A key lesson learned over time is "don't panic, but if you are going to panic, panic now".

I normally decorate the chart with some lines that represent price targets, but the one above is naked.

Trades closed today:

Net $523.40

That will fund going to the airport and spending the day flying around (a few times).

---

I used to consider myself to be apolitical, then became a Liberal Conservative.

I thought I made that up, but it turns out it's a real thing.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

BBC radio four news, morning and evening.
Hand wringing, then quick acceptance that we can't do anything about it.
Could take my eighty year old a*** on a march, but don't see that happening.
Of course, vote when the General election is called. Although in our constituency, my vote will count for nothing.

 

[Timcognito]

Wow interesting thread. I do no social media, zero. I watch US half hour news on TV followed by PBS ether DW out of Berlin or NHK in Japan for a short burst of insight into the rest of the world. No Internet news. For relaxation I come here to learn and post but mostly I'm busy with woodworking, and home repair. I am halfway through a greenhouse build which after several delays is back on the priority list, foundation, floor, drain, plumbing, electrical and 3 ft base wall are in, upper frame and glazing are next on a 10 x20 ft structure. I have been teaching myself Architectural CAD as the wife wants me to design accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for a caretaker so we can "age in place" but seems that's already been happening for 40 yrs. So like others keeping ones mind and hands on other things blunts the anxiety of politics and modern living. We are donors and participants local charities, two demonstration farms for urban and disabled kids, housing and health care for local farm-workers, restoring and 150 yr old lighthouse, an open space trust to buy and preserve nature and farmland and few others. I guess I'm living the "all politics is local" lifestyle and that makes it all seem real. Listening to music is high priority.

EDIT: so proud, the trust is just about to open a beach it bought

From Ravaged Beach to Public Park

Our vision is for Tunitas Creek Beach to become a public county park, so that everyone can enjoy this coastal treasure.

openspacetrust.org

 

[JeffS7444]

I spend too much time watching stuff on YouTube, and it's a safe bet that I gravitate towards news sources which reinforce what I wish to believe. But if they make claims that I can't verify with sources I consider credible, they're history. But what YouTube really excels at is funny animal videos, hobby/lifestyle and how-to content.

Propaganda: We're all exposed to it, and sometimes it works so effectively that we accept the message as self-evident truth. For example, if you think of breakfast as the most important meal of the day, and bacon as a great thing to eat for breakfast, you can thank Edward Bernays.

 

[Axo1989]

Not something that children should hear about in schools other than teaching the history of who the Nazis were and the horrible crimes they committed. I don't think grade school kids need to hear about things like that. That should wait for an appropriate age. Like many other things. That should be common sense to any normal/reasonable adult.

Teachers should definitely not be advocating for Nazism, communism, socialism or any other belief system. That is not their job.

Adults should be able to voice their opinions to other adults even when we hate what they are saying unless they are advocating for violence against innocent people.

I think there should always be free and open debate when opinions differ. Get all the evidence out in the open. Trying to cut off debate or hide evidence is something people do when they know they are wrong and their opinions or arguments can't stand the light of day. Get all the evidence out in the open and see what is true and what isn't.

If your set of "facts" are true, it should be easy to defend them and you should welcome the debate instead of trying to silence people who disagree.

*not referring to you or anyone else here personally when I use the words "you" and "your".

The problem with "religious extremism" is with who is doing the defining. As long as a religion is not advocating for killing or harming others, they should not be censored, no matter how crazy or silly their beliefs may seem to me. I could be wrong. The people who believe in "The Flying Spaghetti Monster" may turn out to have been right.

Thanks for the considered/detailed reply. I generally agree. We should study history of course (and I nearly elaborated in the post you responded to, but instead kept it simple) and that includes both wonderful and terrible things. But that basically begins in high school. And generally, I don't think we should suppress historical perspectives, which can differ dramatically in some cases. Sometimes when people advocate against censorship/for free speech they mean it asymmetrically, aligned to their own ideological/material interests.

Dealing with extremism is tricky. While I agree with open discussion, I'm aware of Popper's paradox of tolerance invoked by @JustJones upthread. It's very important. Whether a belief system advocates harm to others is a good metric, but do we limit it to genocide, or include apartheid? Recently several Australian states sanctioned public display of Nazi regalia, salutes etc. On balance, I think that's necessary (it's censorship, of course). But we can also over-react to expression of legitimate positions: sanctions and penalties against protest in general. Defining legitimate vs extreme vs actively harmful to others isn't unproblematic.

FSM is a parody of course, people don't "believe" it. But they may be right about religion. Or not.

 

[Axo1989]

I spend too much time watching stuff on YouTube, and it's a safe bet that I gravitate towards news sources which reinforce what I wish to believe. But if they make claims that I can't verify with sources I consider credible, they're history. But what YouTube really excels at is funny animal videos, hobby/lifestyle and how-to content.

Propaganda: We're all exposed to it, and sometimes it works so effectively that we accept the message as self-evident truth. For example, if you think of breakfast as the most important meal of the day, and bacon as a great thing to eat for breakfast, you can thank Edward Bernays.

Bernays is a great example. Smoking instead of eating. Torches of freedom. My god.