For the past few months, Oli and I have completely stopped watching the nightly news. 6pm in our household was always news hr, even if it were just on in the background whilst we were cooking or whatever- it became a routine. I guess this stemmed from our childhoods as our parents (and most Nz families would be the same I would imagine) always switched on the news at 6pm. It just felt like the responsible, adult thing to do- to catch up the on the current affairs.
But over the past few months I've become increasingly aware of the extreme violence that seems to have completely taken over every news piece; man is brutally murdered in side St. in Sydney, animals found tortured in Melbourne garage, five yr old american boy shoots baby sister, child abducted in Perth... And those don't even scratch the surface.
Disturbing and malicious behaviour seems to be the theme of the year (or decade) and I am utterly sick of seeing it. Yes, these events are terrible for the people/ animals involved, yes there are far too many sick people in this world, yes disease is spreading like wildfire, yes the world is a dangerous place. Do I want to have it shoved down my throat, or seeded into my brain every day until I'm too afraid to leave the house?
No.
(While we're at it, if I had to see one more piece on some idiot American going on another shooting rampage I would rather peel off my own toenails. Slowly.)
I totally believe in being aware of and prepared for danger, I however do not believe in being poisoned by the media into being petrified of daily life & happenings. Life IS scary- if you want to look at it that way. But what's the point in that? Being afraid isn't going to help anyone, it's only going to taint the times which should only be considered good.
Whatever happened to feel good news stories where we saw people helping other people in need? Or dogs rescuing their owners in a dramatic house fire? I'm sure there are still more good people out there than bad, we just don't see it enough anymore. The media seems to thrive on these brutal attacks, jumping from one murder to the next like they're nothing special. I think it's disgusting, and that's why we said no to the news. Personally, watching it would always put a damper on my night, I would dwell on particularly bad stories for days- always thinking what if that were Oli, or worse, what if that was Blake? It would literally give me nightmares far too often.
So fuck that.
In this case, ignorance is bliss.
And incase all you Aussies are unaware, they play new Simpsons episodes on ten at 6, I have been missing out!
Im sure we will watch the nightly news again here or there, but in the meantime I just check out stuff.co.nz and am more than happy to pick & choose which current events to catch up on rather than watching a reel of blood and devastation night after night.
Bless you Internet.
What are your thoughts on the news?
Thought of the day "we need a dog incase of emergency"
Gemma
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