Why the News Promotes Ignorance
and Mental Illness
The following is a transcript of this video.
“News is to the mind what sugar is to the body: appetising, easily digestible and extremely damaging.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
Most people think that consuming the news makes one an informed citizen who is equipped to form intelligent opinions on social and political issues. In this video, drawing from the Swiss author Rolf Dobelli’s book Stop Reading the News: A Manifesto for a Happier, Calmer and Wiser Life, we argue that the opposite is true: news consumption fosters ignorance, intolerance, passivity, and chronic stress.
“News organisations want you to believe they’re giving you a competitive advantage. Plenty of people fall for this. In fact, consuming the news is far from a competitive advantage; it actively disadvantages you…There’s no question that the dross we’re spoon-fed every day is not only completely worthless but actively damaging.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
To understand one of the problems with news consumption, we can turn to a well-known set of experiments conducted by psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven Maier in the 1960s. In these studies, rats were subjected to electric shocks. One group could stop the shocks by turning a wheel; the other group had no means of escape. The first group of rats did not display any adverse effects to the shocks, but the rats that were powerless to stop the shocks developed what Seligman and Maier called learned helplessness — which is a condition marked by passivity, reduced motivation, and anhedonia – the inability to feel pleasure.
In many ways, the news functions like these electric shocks. We are continually bombarded with distressing reports that provoke stress, anxiety, fear, and a sense of hopelessness. Yet instead of turning off the news or taking meaningful action on the issues that concern us, we continue – day after day, year after year – to expose ourselves to this steady stream of negativity. In doing so, we place ourselves in a similar position to the helpless rats and we gradually develop a learned helplessness that insidiously seeps into our personal life. Or as Dobelli writes:
“…learned helplessness doesn’t just make us passive about what’s on the news…Learned helplessness spills over into every area of our lives. Once the news has made us passive, we tend to behave passively towards our family and our jobs as well – precisely where we do have room for manoeuvre. British media researcher Jodie Jackson takes a similar view: ‘When we tune into the news, we are constantly confronted with unresolved problems and the narrative does not inspire much hope that they will ever be solved.’ It’s no surprise, then, that we feel depressed when we consume the news, which confronts us with problems that are mostly impossible to solve.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
Another major problem with news consumption is that it promotes ignorance. Thomas Jefferson recognized this in 1807 when he wrote that:
“The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them.”
Thomas Jefferson, Memoirs, Correspondence, Private Letters
One of the reasons the news leaves us less informed is because it radically oversimplifies what it reports on. The world is a complex system, and social, political, and environmental issues are not linear phenomena with one or two clear causes. They are chaotic, non-linear processes shaped by hundreds, if not thousands, of interwoven factors – far beyond the capacity of the human mind to fully comprehend. Yet instead of acknowledging this complexity with intellectual humility and grappling with it through in-depth reporting, the news reduces events to simplistic narratives, sound bites, and catchphrases – which it presents as the truth. In doing so, the news distorts the reality of what it claims to explain. Or as Dobelli writes:
“Any journalist who writes ‘The market fell because of X’ or ‘The company went bankrupt because of Y’ is either an idiot or trying to pull the wool over their readers’ eyes. True, X and Y may well have had a causal impact, but this is far from proven – and other influences may well have been much more significant…News has to be extremely short even as it tells a story. This can only be done through a brutal process of simplification…Since the news is so telescoped, it’s necessarily a bullshit explanation…In this way consumers are given the illusion that the world is simpler and more explicable than it actually is, and the quality of their decision-making suffers.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
To make matters worse, these simplified explanations of social and political events are far from unbiased. Rather, they are filtered through the news outlet’s political agenda and shaped by the interests of government agencies and corporate advertisers. The media entrepreneur Clay Johnson admitted that: “For every reporter in the United States, there are more than four public relations specialists working hard to get them to write what their bosses want them to say.” (Clay Johnson, The Information Diet) The 20th century American writer Upton Sinclair asked: “When you read your daily paper, are you reading facts or propaganda?” (Upton Sinclair, The Brass Check) Or as Dobelli echoes:
“These days it’s much harder to distinguish between truthful, unbiased news items and those with an ulterior motive. There’s a vast industry of lobbying and leverage at work behind the scenes.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
By concealing its political biases, ulterior motives, and manipulative intentions behind reductive narratives and simplistic explanations that make the world seem far more comprehensible than it is, the news cultivates an intellectual hubris in its consumers. Today, many people hold strong opinions on virtually every issue amplified by the media, and with each new trending news topic, public discourse and social media are flooded with self-assured commentary. In effect, the news is cultivating a population of true believers; that is, individuals who are so convinced they know the truth that they are intolerant and even hateful toward those who hold opposing views. Hence, news consumption deepens societal polarization, erodes the possibility of civic discourse, and turns neighbors who might otherwise be friends into ideological enemies.
In an age when, thanks in large part to the news, the average citizen is highly opinionated, profoundly ignorant, and increasingly intolerant, the following wisdom of Marcus Aurelius is sorely needed:
‘You are at liberty not to form opinions about all and sundry, thereby sparing your soul unrest.”
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Or as Dobelli echoes:
“…it’s a serious mistake to think we need to form an opinion about everything. Ninety per cent of our opinions are superfluous. Yet the news is constantly urging us to form opinions. This robs us of concentration and inner peace…if you unleash a whirlwind of news on the population, it polarises the public…News and comments about the news bring out the worst in humanity…You only have to read the comments underneath any online article. The hatred you find there is alarming…”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
Consuming the news also erodes our ability to think deeply and sustain focus. In the past, the amount of news one could consume was limited by the distribution of newspapers or the production of an evening news broadcast. Today, twenty-four-hour news channels, websites, and social media feeds bombard us with a never-ending stream of news headlines that keep our minds in a state of perpetual distraction. According to the Pew Research Center, the average person consumes about 60 news items a day, or 20,000 a year. And as researchers at the University of Tokyo have observed, the greater number of news items one consumes the fewer neurons they have in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region of the brain critical for attention, impulse control, and moral reasoning. And as Dobelli writes:
“If you watch a news junkie, you’ll see this in action: their concentration span shrinks and they have trouble controlling their emotions…I always notice that the most passionate consumers of the news – even if they were once also passionate bookworms – no longer have the ability to read longer articles or books. After four or five pages they get tired, their attention dissipates, and they get restless. It’s not because they’re getting older or busier. Rather, the physical structure of their brain has changed.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
The news also feeds the undercurrents of stress and anxiety that plague modern life. Producers of the news exploit our negativity bias, or our predisposition to react more strongly to negative information than positive, with reports of wars, heinous crimes, riots, political gossip and turmoil, economic instability, potential pandemics and climate catastrophes. Graham Davey, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Sussex University and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, has demonstrated through his research that the more one consumes news the more stress and anxiety one suffers in daily life. And given that stress inhibits the functioning of our immune system and is implicated in a wide range of disease, we can safely say the news is making us sick. Or as Dobelli writes:
“…consuming the news reduces your quality of life. You will be more stressed, more on edge, more susceptible to disease, and you’ll die earlier. That’s an especially sad piece of news – but one that does, at least, deserve your attention.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
Because the news is so damaging to individual and societal well-being, Dobelli advocates for radical abstinence – cutting the news out of our lives entirely. For those skeptical about giving it up for good, Dobelli suggests we experiment with abstaining from the news for 30 days. During this period, the psychological and emotional benefits of news abstention become apparent and as Dobelli notes, very few who try this experiment will choose to go back. Or as he writes:
“During the initial stage of abstinence…you’ll have to literally force yourself not to consume any news…So – what should you do if you relapse? The same thing an alcoholic would: simply start again, reinstituting a zero-tolerance policy…For ten years I’ve consistently practised what I preach. The impact on my quality of life and decision-making has been remarkable. Try it. You’ve got nothing to lose. You have so much to gain.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
Abstaining from the news does not mean we have to stick our head in the sand and remain ignorant about important social, political, and world events. For we have access to a wide range of informational sources that can help us stay informed without falling prey to the pitfalls of news consumption. Long-form content, such as books, well-researched articles, podcasts, documentaries, textbooks, online courses, and academic journals, offer the depth and nuance needed to do greater justice to the complexity of world events, in a way that the news – with its short-form, oversimplified, biased reporting – cannot.
“Read books and long articles that do justice to the complexity of the world…After a few months, you’ll be rewarded with a clearer understanding of the world…Long-form pieces are the opposite of the news…Much of their content is valuable, providing new insights and background information. But be careful: these formats are far from a guarantee of relevance.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
With a clearer understanding of the world, we are better equipped to act as a genuine force for good in society. Dobelli notes that when he raises the idea of abstaining from the news, many respond with the following concern: If we stop following the news, who will hold the powerful accountable and drive social change? Yet given that the news manipulates public opinion — frequently to the advantage of those in power — and fosters learned helplessness rather than action, it should come as no surprise that “the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Revolutions of 1848, [and] the fall of the Soviet Union… did not need current affairs programmes, news websites or feeds.” (Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News) The most influential figures of these movements informed themselves – and inspired others – through books, pamphlets, public gatherings, speeches, debates, and meaningful conversation. For example, during the American Revolution Thomas Paine’s 47-page pamphlet Common Sense was profoundly influential in sparking revolutionary sentiment in America.
“How did people stay informed? They thought, and they debated…Is political discourse even possible without the news? This question suggests that one can only form a well-founded opinion via the news media. Yet that isn’t true.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
While abstaining from the news can reduce our ignorance and make us more aware of social issues, it also gives us the opportunity to redirect our attention toward what truly matters and what we can influence — our mental and physical health, our relationships, and our work. Two thousand years ago, the Stoic philosopher Epictetus opened his Enchiridion with the timeless insight: “Some things are in our control and others are not.” He went on to teach that peace of mind and a flourishing life depend on investing our time and energy on what lies within our power. And as Dobelli continues:
“Nintey-nine point nine per cent of all world events are outside your control…Devote your energies to things you can influence. There are more than enough of those – but an earthquake on the other side of the planet isn’t one of them.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
According to the Pew Research Center, the average American spends between 58 and 96 minutes a day consuming news. Over the course of a year, this amounts to nearly an entire month of news consumption. But given the many harms we have explored, news consumption is more than just an enormous waste of time – it is a kind of mental poison. In choosing to abstain from the news, we cleanse and detoxify our mind and improve our psychological health.
“Just see these superfluous ones! Sick are they always; they vomit their bile and call it a newspaper.”
Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Or as Dobelli concludes:
“The news is mental pollution. Keep your brain clean. It’s your most important organ…Still worried about missing ‘something important’? In my experience, when something truly important happens, you hear about it even if you’re living in a protected news-cocoon…Big news will inevitably leak out and find you…And if somehow you don’t hear about the bus attack, it doesn’t matter. On the contrary, you should be pleased. Worse things may be happening on other planets, and we are comfortable remaining in the dark.”
Rolf Dobelli, Stop Reading the News
