I'm Giving up the Internet - "The End of News"

(Originally written Nov 2019)


Specifically, I'm giving up watching YouTube videos and looking at various news feeds (e.g. news.bbc.co.uk). Why? 

B e c a u s e    t h e y 'r e    
b o r i n g.

I realised that my life is getting stale. These feeds are part of that staleness.

My daily habit is to check the News and Youtube for the latest. I realised that there's not much interesting out there. There are just lots of people trying to make boring stuff interesting. This irritates me. I switched off.

I saw an excellent documentary on the Vietnam War recently. I see today's news in that context.

The Vietnam War

Ongoing Brexit & Trump stories. It's all boring to me. Put these against the Vietnam War & protests, Nixon's activities and other historical events, these just seem boring.

(I also consider that I don't have much power to influence these events: so why should I get worked up about them? It's a sign that I need to get a life).

I can't remember any significant news in the UK since the Brexit referendum in 2016. 'News' is defined as: "newly received or noteworthy information". Could this be "The End of News?" That is, will these reports even register a blip in the timeline of human history? 

"Lots of people trying to make boring stuff interesting" : 

(click to enlarge)

Crowds of people standing on a platform. Is that what we're defining as 'chaos'? Oxford definition: "complete disorder and confusion". Try the evacuation of people from Saigon at the end of the war. That's more like chaos for me.

"Lots of people trying to make boring stuff interesting" : 

(click to enlarge)

Can I ask a favour? When you see something like the above, PLEASE don't click it! It's most likely a non-story.

(click to enlarge)

This is another type of non-story. Look out for keywords such as 'could' or 'might mean'. It's a journalist making up predictions about the future (i.e. speculation). Yes it could happen, but it could just as likely NOT HAPPEN AT ALL, and so what was the point? 

(Update Feb 2020: what was the outcome of that story?)

But we never keep track of the accuracy of these predictions, so they get away with it again & again.

Play a game 

Next time you catch the news, see if you can spot:

A) Speculation 

(e.g. "could", "might", "implication") - 1 pt

B) Exaggeration 

(e.g. "political infighting" instead of "disagreement") - 3 pts

Why do journalists go to these lengths to get us to click? Why use words like 'chaos' instead of 'inconvenience'? Because there's not too much interesting these days.

No. It became clearer to me, thinking about YouTube Vloggers: they have subscribers (equals money) and need to keep producing content. 

They can't say, "today I have nothing to tell you". If there's not much to say, they have to make something up. It's similar with the news media. Speculation and exaggeration go a long way in filling up pages.

Further, content producers know that negative news attracts views, because of our fear of threat and loss. BUT I know that it's cumulatively harmful to my mental wellbeing, so I turn away. Others aren't so aware.

And this is serious. Ask yourself: "By what means do most of us find out what's going on in the world?" Answer: the News Media. What effect does it have on society if reports are negative, speculative or exaggerated?

Maybe we do actually have some power here. 

Stop clicking.

See more in my book: "Things You Shouldn't Say Out Loud".

Also published: "Murder Your Mortgage in 7 Years".

Healthy Ageing

In comments to a newspaper article about my book, Murder Your Mortgage in 7 Years, someone wrote,

"Lad looks well for 45 - maybe he could write a book on that as well, give us all some hope!"

Great compliment! I write about this and loads other things in my new book, "Things You Shouldn't say out loud"

Here's my quick 7 point take on healthy ageing.

1. I think like a child! 

I have a playful attitude and love pranks. Somehow I just don't feel like an adult! I also love acting on any crazy ideas that pop into my head and carrying them through, without the "it'll never work" or inhibitions of adulthood. My Melvyn Bragg video is an example. I also try not to care what others think. If an idea excites me, I grab on and do it!

2. I exercise regularly. 

Older guys often put on weight. The free exercise classes with Our Parks is a godsend. On a time and money budget there's Fitnessblender on YouTube and Sworkit on my phone. I walk everywhere and love cycling. I have a £150 foldable rower in my shed.

3. I look after my skin. 

I don't spend a great deal of time in the sun, though I've changed my idea on this: vitamin D is important. So protect your skin from harmful rays. I use a face moisturiser with sun protection.

4. I watch what I put into my body

It's clear that smoking and drinking age people and the damage must be proportional. I drink water. I try to listen to my body as I get older. It's telling me I don't need to eat so much these days and discipline when peckish is good. I'm also finding I like fish and salads.

5. I'm trying to sleep more.

Sleep is where your mind and body do repairs. If I sound like a goody goody so far, this is where I've messed up. It's showing in my eye bags!

6. Education

Education - whether it's reading a self-help book, doing a course, learning an instrument or dance - I think is part of the reinvention of self. It will also help your brain change & grow.

7. Relationships

A longitudinal study found that relationships were the common denominator in long-term happiness and health.

See more Basic Instinct type thoughts like these on a range of stuff like beauty, capitalism, women and pop music in my new book "Things You Shouldn't say out loud" 

Who needs God? This man explains the origin of the universe!

In just 1 hour, Professor Jim Al-Khalili, in BBC's 'The Beginning of the Universe', explains how it all began: fantastic! I've been waiting for a definitive answer for ages. Here goes!

2.00 minutes in: 

"Where does it all come from?...The answers to such a simple question could only be attempted by religion...in the 20th century, science built a coherent and persuasive creation story of its own".

[GREAT! SCIENCE WILL EXPLAIN IT ALL]



49.00 minutes in:

"...there are still very big questions to be resolved about the beginning of the universe like where did all the matter itself come from?" 

[HANG ON - YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE EXPLAINING THAT!]

"...and the question of a universe from nothing at that point was unanswered: "how do you get something from nothing?"

[OH DEAR - THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD]

"the answers to these questions lie further back...within the very first second of its existence...at CERN...the largest particle accelerator in the world...the large Hadron Collider"

[FANTASTIC! PHEW - $13BILLON - NOW WE'LL GET THE ANSWER FOR SURE!]

59.00 minutes in, after his visit to CERN:

"while we don't yet know how matter sprung into existence...we're making the first tentative steps towards that discovery...it's not bad...one millionth a second after the big bang itself. How the particles that make up matter itself condensed out of a fog of energy...this is the realm of abstract theory and speculation."

[I DON'T CARE ABOUT 1 SECOND AFTER! FOR #@*$ SAKE! "THE BEGINNING OF THE UNIVERSE"? YOU SWORE YOU'D EXPLAIN THAT: THE TITLE PROMISED IT! YOU'VE WASTED AN HOUR OF MY LIFE!!!]

Terrorism doesn't bother me much

Donald Trump says, “shoot first, talk later”.  

US presidential candidates make big statements about terrorism. Americans are alarmed about terrorism. We’re terrified about terrorism. 

I’m not. 

In fact, I’m not worried about lots of headline grabbing terrors. Why? Because terrorism or murderers aren't going to kill you or me. Have a look at these UK government stats:

Terrorism doesn't even make the bottom of the list, but it grabs all the headlines. Worrying about terrorism makes as much sense as you and me worrying about how to spend lottery money. Don't worry about ISIS, worry about your heart. 

What about your kids? Maybe child abduction, stabbing or some other headline grabbing cause is your major concern? Well have a look at this:

Homicide is in there, but stats suggest we should be more concerned about drivers (near 20,000 injuries to young people) than the child catcher. Doesn't make the headlines though, does it?

Low probabilities make the headlines and cause fear, but high probabilities don't so much.

Strange.

Be Drug Aware

There’s a drug on the market that can have seriously harmful effects including:

sleep disturbance

addiction/ dependence

memory problems

organ damage

increased cancer risk

loss of control & vulnerability

risk of accident & injury

aggression

blackout

It’s potentially so harmful that the Chief Medical Officer has recently given a strict warning.

Details below.

It’s alcohol.

I got thinking. With those effects, would we have introduced it today?

God's Image?

Looking at recent news stories I wondered whether they said anything about the value of human life. The above is a subjective ordering, but there could be an empirical and quantitative basis. 

Consider the following:

- On 18 October 2011 captured IDF tank gunner Gilad Shalit, captured by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas in 2006, was released in exchange for 1027 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

- The majority of victims on flight MH17 were Europeans. We can speculate that the response would've been faster and stronger if the majority of victims were American.

- Black Americans are 4 times more likely to be murdered than the national average. This situation is perennial and so therefore presumably tolerable. Some have speculated that, "if this situation existed in communities outside of the African American community, it would be declared a national emergency".

- It takes a major train, industrial or natural disaster on a major scale (e.g. 2004 Tsunami initial figures 4000 dead) to register on our evening news.

- Africa tops the list for infant mortality and death on a massive scale is a taken for granted given. Infant mortality is 26 times higher than in Europe. This year there have been 1145 African Ebola deaths. The recent headline "First European Ebola death" was telling and significant.

My New Trainers!

Have you experienced the ‘new trainers’ effect? Yeah, you know – when you buy that new pair of trainers, all gleaming and bright:  there’s no way you’re gonna mess them up. Mind out mate, don’t step on my trainers! Gotta avoid that puddle. And it’s not only trainers; it applies to anything new: cars, phone, furniture. Gotta keep that remote control in its plastic!

Then gradually, after a surprisingly short period of time wearing your trainers, you somehow don’t give a crap about them! Eventually you’re wearing some scruffy, dirty, smelly pair of trainers – until, of course, you get some new ones…