like living in a constant state of exasperation, like somehow eating a light bulb and asking for more and having no ideas how or why you are eating a light bulbs and asking for more but you are and it doesn’t stop and somehow there’s no way to make it stop, like that?

https://bsky.app/profile/kottke.org/post/3lydbrjufvb2n

They only briefly touch on this in the article, but one major reason that I avoid the news more now is that I simply don't trust the sources that I used to. Even in my most avoidant, anxiety-fueled phases I used to check the front page of the NY Times several times a day (though I rarely clicked into articles). These days I am so disgusted by their spineless capitulation to the Trump administration and virulent anti-trans rhetoric I visit the games page and nothing else.

And this is how the current administration gets everything it wants. It exhausts its citizens, and sufficiently convinces them that basic journalism isn't trustworthy.

I'm using the same philosophy I did the first time: I know they're terrible people doing terrible things. As long as I know generally what those things are so I can respond in ways that I can control, there's no reason to torture myself with the exact details of what they're doing every day.

I've been doing this since around 2012. Things still make it through my filter, but I see that as a feature and not a bug. Actually this website is one place that I have to make constant choices on whether or not to click a link. I tend to only clicking links that I know won't lead me down a doom-scrolling death-spiral.

Do I feel less informed? Sometimes. Do I feel like I'm missing out? No.

@kottke I’ve been keeping track of articles about avoiding the news over the years at https://notes.justagwailo.com/liberal-arts/avoiding-news