Are current events really that important?
Posted by Andrew
For most high school and college students, their teachers stress the importance of keeping up with current events. Things like reading the paper or watching the news for stories that affect you.
My question: Is all of that really worth it?
If you have a 1 hour commute to school or work and you read the day’s paper on the way, was it worth it?
Or could you have spent the same amount of time reading an educational book? Something by Seth Godin or from the Personal MBA? (I’m business biased.)
Even more so, is all of the extra information really necessary in a world that is increasingly info-overloaded?
How many of us actually take action based on something we see in the news?
My 2 cents: read something truly relevant to you. A personal development book or an enlighten blog on your iPhone. (Like Seth’s blog or this one.) 
Stop gorging on unhealthy information about what the politicians are fighting over in Washington or what unfortunate event has occured in the world and focus instead on what you can actually change and improve: your own mind!
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July 20th, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Since the 24 hour news cycle came to be, I find myself spending less and less time following daily events. The reason is that the news is really not that news worthy. News channels and newspapers over report and under inform on most events.
I have taken action on something I have read in the news but it was a local issues that I had been following for a while. In that sense, local news (and blogs) are for me, my only real source of actionable information. On the national level, I look at the macro trends. Doing anything else just makes you go mad.
Jarie Bolander´s last blog ..Creative Class: Innovation and Economic Crises
July 20th, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Hi Jarie!
That is a perfect example of the moderation I would like to use/see. A lot of what we see in the news and the “media” is just ratings garbage.
I find myself thinking about the Pareto principle in that 20% of the news probably contains the 80% that is beneficial to us.
Local news is probably the only really actionable kind since it’s right there in our own communities. But it has to be pretty localized as well. (Neighborhood news not city level. Even city news is just as overwhelming.)
July 20th, 2009 at 5:18 PM
I couldn’t agree with you more. I hate when people read the paper just to “read the paper.” I rarely watch the news or read about news, because it’s pointless. The really big stuff will get passed along to me via word of mouth, and the little stuff I don’t really need to know anyway. Great post, Andrew.
Nate´s last blog ..The 80/20 rule
July 20th, 2009 at 6:21 PM
Yup, you’ll hear about really important or hopefully relevant stuff through someone else, and the minor stuff will float by without ever clogging your mind.
Simplicity is key.