A while ago, I made the conscious decision to stop watching the news. Between the graphic scenes of post-violence, the sensational commentary, and the induced hypochondria, I had had enough. I can easily stay informed about the sad state of affairs without subjecting myself to that. It's not so much the ostrich effect, because I'm not in denial about the horrific nature of humanity's underbelly. Wars are raging and taking lives; politicians are scrambling to justify their office; harm is being done to young ones; unsuspecting people are gunned down; coffee is bad for you one day and good the other; storms become "stormgates".
Other than trying to spread some hope, donate some money or food, give up some time to help others locally, there is nothing I can do. Putting myself through the distress of watching the news translate misfortune into ratings, isn't helping anyone.
The same goes with the morning programs. I used to watch religiously, until I realized that I really didn't need to know about Deena's shoes or Kevin's bout with the stomach flu or Frankie's wedding to get my day started. What passes as "news" is mostly opinion and triviality. I have enough of that in my real life.
Case in point, the other day, as I was marking papers, I had the TV on as background noise, to help drown out the screaming in my head about what I was reading. I wasn't really paying attention to what was happening, and a promotional news segment reared its ugly head. In the midst of the tormented question why students can't write a simple paragraph, I hear "Insomnia is one of the leading causes of health issues. Not getting enough sleep can irreparably affect your body."
Great! That's exactly the reassurance that any insomniac needs to hear to help him/her get a good night's sleep. There's nothing like the threat of imminent bodily harm to someone who is already struggling to get some shut eye.
First of all, even if there is a study out there, the limitations and validity of which is sketchy at best, that actually proves this as medical fact, how reprehensible and irresponsible is it to broadcast it as a tidbit of information? Insomnia is no laughing matter. It bespeaks issues that one has to manage often with the help of a professional practitioner, not Billy Boob Butthead reading it on a screen.
Second of all, how dare they sneak that information in between a soap commercial and one for diamond rings (Valentine's is coming up)? Ratings and generation of funds to pay the overinflated salaries of television personalities have totally eliminated ethical practices. I get that television's one mandate is to generate capital through commercial placement. I get that the "medical" profession is being taken over by pharmaceutical partisanship. I get all that. What I don't get is why they need to keep the public in a constant state of worry.
I don't get enough sleep, apparently. My sleep cycle is shot all to hell, and that's my problem that I have to work out. The reasons and scope of my disturbed sleep are what I need to deal with. It's hard to function around 2 pm when my body is aching for a nap, and I have to relay the importance of a semi-colon. I know I need help. What won't help me deal with all this is some news producer deciding it's a good idea to throw some hypochondriac panic into the mix.
That'll teach me to turn on the TV for company.
No comments:
Post a Comment