I have what I call a “gopher” strategy. When it’s time for an election, I poke my head up and research the candidates, then choose. Then I shut the news off (literally, blocking it on my devices) for the rest of the time. If there’s an issue I want to learn about in depth, I read longform articles or books. This keeps me better informed and less outraged than I would be otherwise.
The second part of this strategy is having IRL relationships I trust to tell me if something important slipped through my filter. This involves some trust, but has worked well for me. I can’t imagine how many hours I’ve gotten back.
I have what I call a “gopher” strategy. When it’s time for an election, I poke my head up and research the candidates, then choose. Then I shut the news off (literally, blocking it on my devices) for the rest of the time. If there’s an issue I want to learn about in depth, I read longform articles or books. This keeps me better informed and less outraged than I would be otherwise.
The second part of this strategy is having IRL relationships I trust to tell me if something important slipped through my filter. This involves some trust, but has worked well for me. I can’t imagine how many hours I’ve gotten back.