(Day 3 without News)
I want to go to on Twitter or Google News and check messages. That urge really drives me crazy. Like quitting smoking. Joseph: How do you feel when you consume the news? Bina: Completely overwhelmed. Sebastian: Stressed out. Really stressed out because sometimes it's just too much. Hi i am Joseph and i wanted to know
what happens if I quit News or any form of news
consuming. My day starts with the grip to the smartphone. Then I check what's going on Google News
and while in the Bathroom I watch News broadcast with summary of the latest events. At breakfast I usually listen to the radio
or I'm on Twitter. More likely on Twitter. Overall, I almost consume four hours of newsthroughout the day In the long run it really pulls me down because… I'm always in a bad mood when I'm done with my news consumption. So I'm in a bad mood half of the day. Balbina: I'm getting worse, getting worse,
because I only think of bad things.
Joseph: And then the blackout came All news apps deleted from my
Smartphone. All message access blocked. Joseph: Could you do without news? Bina: No! Sebastian: No, definitely not. Pia: Absolutely. Totally. Joseph: The first day without news was
kind of like vacation because when on vacation, I don't check any news. I still used my smartphone quite often
and then just noticed that my apps are gone That I used to kill time with.
So I used alternatives like instagram or Youtube, but there were news also. Then I also deleted these two apps. Since I am a self-employed writer and director, I always have a lot to do. So I wasn't easily distracted
but on the second day … Today I feel a bit like
on withdrawal because all my entertainment technology can't be used. Twitter, Instagram. I miss that a bit. I felt isolated in a weird way
even though that was only the second day. To avoid the radio and podcasts was no problem, but the apps on the phone I really missed them. Joseph: Where do you get your news from? Bina: Twitter. I actually get most things
via Twitter. Pia: Instagram. I subscribed to Tagesschau24. Sebastian: Deutschlandfunk actually every morning
and of course always Twitter. You just get everything, including news
that you don't need. For example, if anyone from the AFD said anything. In the middle of the week it got quite bad.
I didn't get on well at work, had
the smartphone in my hand all the time, though I couldn't really do anything with it.
I mostly had a hard time developing ideas. I work as a screenwriter and film director
and most of my work is developing ideas. It was suddenly very difficult for me
and I've never had the problem before. Today I feel like I am on substance detox. Because I really notice how nervous I get. Because I can't be on Twitter or check the news. Like someone who stops smoking. And then it was clear to me: Before the experiment I had extremely much input. Thousands of messages every day, tweets, Instagram pictures, YouTube videos. That means I didn't let boredom in my life at all. But for me as a creative person this is really important. I think it's important for everyone to feel boredom from time to time. Anyone who knows my book experiment knows that
I read a lot of books, but the last time I fell behind. Maybe that has something to do with my high news consumption. So I picked up books again.
This inner urge of quick satisfaction
through any news became less and less
and then I asked myself, in the middle of vacuuming: "What actually makes me happy in
my everyday life? " Joseph: What makes you happy in everyday life? Bina: My dog makes me very happy
because it's completely far from all these bad things in the world. Music. Everything that distracts me from the world. Sebastian: Spending time with friends. My girlfriend makes me happy and I am trying to listen to music that makes me happy more often. Pia: Things I enjoy in everyday life make me happy. In my case: My job. Simply doing nothing also makes me
happy. Time to be offline. Read a book and be offline. Joseph: The question created an inner will to optimise myself further. I banished my smartphone completely out of the bedroom. I bought a real alarm clock and
since then I get my smartphone after breakfast! Today is going really well.
I'm getting on really well. Of course I still swing away in my thoughts sometimes. But I am a lot more focused. I notice a clear difference to before. And on the fifth day it finally happened:
I relaxed. I was in a really good mood. I had a real high and became
much more productive. And the inspiring books and the smartphone-free
Bedrooms helped quite well in the end, to regulate the inner chaos. The check came at the end of the week. What have I really missed this week? Dominik: Hi Joseph, I'm here today
to tell you what was going on during the week Among other things, Julia Klöckner had a small Shstorm. Then the world is worried about the corona virus. Combat Eighteen was banned. Sigmar Gabriel goes to the German bank supervisory board.
An African climate activist got
cut out of a picture. That was the week. I'm fine, Joseph. How about you? Joseph: What would happen if you had to quit consuming the news? Pia: I probably would miss a lot of important things. News are also there to educate. If I live only in my own world, miss out a lot of what's important. Joseph: Before the week was over, I wanted to know why I felt so bad before. Was that really the news? So I asked Doctor Whatson. Doctor Whatson: According to a study
three out of four people use their smartphones before going to sleep and shortly after waking up. The first point of contact: social media. And here too, studies show that more and more
People get their news on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
So the first thing many of us do before going to sleep
and perceiving upon waking up is THE NEWS. So what exactly happens when you consume bad news? As soon as we face bad news
our brains go into battle or escape mode. So we react as if we were dealing with a big predator, that jumped in front of us. This is pure stress for us. Our blood pressure rises and the pulse goes up. We react both physically, as well
mentally. That is not so bad at first, but can
make you sick in time. Young people in particular often have the feeling
to live in a world where everything is always getting worse: climate catastrophes, wars
and pandemics. All of this affects our psyche. In addition, bad news is
good breeding ground for our own concerns.
Combined and in the long run, that can lead to depression and anxiety. I slept so much better these last days. But I am also looking forward to participate on Twitter again and read the news. But I will definitely reduce my news consumption. Because I felt pretty good the last few days. Joseph: Is there something in the news area, that you are missing? Sebastian: So you have all these magazines,
who naturally live from the negative news that stay in your head more and
that are clicked better. It would be great if there was a page for
only good news. Joseph: Meanwhile, my news consumption
dropped to about 30 minutes a day. I am very curious to see if I can improve my concentration further by reading more books frequently.
Or maybe by listening excessively to
good music. For example, that from BALBINA. I can only recommend to you her new album "Punkt." Hear lyrics are incredible. And if you are in Berlin, you should definitely
go to one of their concerts because they are very rarely and there is a reason for that. They are very special. Many thanks to Doctor Whatson, who also made a video about news consumptions on his channel. And as always thanks to my Patreons and I look forward to seeing you on Patreon too! Because that's the way I finance videos like this.
I'm very excited to see what the next experiment will be. I don't know yet, but I'm looking forward to your suggestions. See you soon..