“I used to have the news on the TV every morning for an hour or so as I got the children ready for school and completed my household tasks,” he said. “Now it has literally been switched off and unplugged. I can’t cope with it any more. It’s just too much and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Though he dips into his favourite news apps occasionally in the evening, he now strictly limits his news consumption. He’s not alone. The Guardian has been contacted by a series of one-time news junkies who are now seeking to restrict their news intake after suffering from disturbed sleep or a downturn in their mood.
Broadcast and cable news are today’s newspapers. Tomorrow they will be gone and no one will miss them. I’ve tried watching news programs, but it seems so pointless. They cover half a dozen stories, if that, none of which answers any real questions. I get better information more quickly by spending 5 minutes flipping through my rss feed or 10 minutes scrolling through tiktok.