I stopped watching the morning news a couple weeks ago. I didn’t intend to make it a regular occurrence. I just realized one day I didn’t want to start my day with it, and I never went back.
I don’t miss it at all.
To be clear, I still stay informed of everything that’s happening in the world. I have four or five websites I look at every morning, and, surprisingly, I don’t feel any less informed. I actually feel more informed because I can read the things I think are important for me to know, and the things I want to know, and skip all the other stuff.
The reason I decided one day to stop watching the news, and still haven’t started again, is because it’s a lot of bad news. It really is. Want to know why?
Because bad news sells.
I would know. I’ve spent the last 12 years writing for media outlets. And I’ve learned this: post something sad or tragic, like an obituary, a divorce, a terrible diagnosis, and the audience will skyrocket. People gravitate towards bad news.
The problem becomes that the news outlets — all of them, regardless of the network — will share a bunch of bad news because they know that bad news sells. They want high ratings, so while of course there’s the occasional feel-good story interspersed among the bad, they share a lot of negative stuff. And that’s not how I want to start my day. I don’t want a TV network deciding what I will fill my mind with.
Turns out, I stumbled on a truth psychologists have known for a long time: bad news is bad for us.
“Negative news can affect your own personal worries,” says psychologist Dr. Graham Davey. “Viewing negative news means that you’re likely to see your own personal worries as more threatening and severe, and when you do start worrying about them, you’re more likely to find your worry difficult to control and more distressing than it would normally be.”
I also found that I was having to constantly monitor what Reagan heard and saw. I don’t want to have to explain words like “suicide bombs” and “multiple fatalities” and “missile” and “rape” to my five-year-old. And at five, he should be worrying about what trains he wants to play, which toy his sister took from him, and what kind of cereal he’s going to have for breakfast. I don’t want to have to avert his eyes because there’s a body bag on TV, or a gruesome war scene.
Instead, I started putting worship music on, and the difference in my day is astounding. And in this process, over the past few weeks, I realized an important truth: I cannot fill my mind with the things of this world and expect to have the mind of Christ.
I cannot fill my mind with the things of this world and expect to have the mind of Christ.
I cannot fill my mind with the things of this world and expect to have the mind of Christ.
It’s true. We stay so focused on the things of this world that are depressing and have no eternal value, forgetting that this world is not our home.
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Phil. 3:20
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Phil. 4:8
I’m not saying I won’t ever watch the news again. Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t. But I do know this: when I do watch the news, it’s so easy for me to get caught up with everything that’s wrong in this world, and to forget that this world is not my home. If I worry about politicians, governments and rulers, I take my eyes off the One who really matters. The only One who matters.
How much better it’s been for me to start my day focusing on Him, thinking about Him, dwelling on Him, instead of dwelling on the things of this world.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1
I’d love to know — what do you do to start your day? Any feel-good routines I should know about? If so, please tell me!
