Should we avoid the news?

I basicly stay in touch with the news so i somewhat know what is going on, if i can take action i will but i seem to get really sad about the amount of suffering posted on facebook and i wonder sometimes if that kind of news is shared out of compassion or sensation.
Some news off course really gets to me , and it should, i am human and want to know about suffering, cant do nothing if you dont know nothing

Stockmarket news i completely ignore , that has no value for normal people on normal wages

Everyone has very good points, thank you Hopefully we get a few more opinions and how others handle it as well.

Personally I believe we have an obligation to know what's going on in the world, but that may just be me. A lot of my friends just don't care.

I feel an obligation as both a minority and an attorney to know what's going on, as depressing as that may sometimes be. I can't tell you how many conversations I've had to have with clients this year about being careful when they interact with authority figures because of the number of black citizens killed by police this year (I work with at-risk youth). As a gay man, I need to know what's hoping on in America because the officials elected, laws being enacted, judges being appointed, etc, has a definite impact on my life.

But even on a personal level, seeing things in the news can enable me to make a positive change in my life. I walk as much as I can after seeing how global warming is impacting the world. I am much more careful about recycling. I watch the products I buy.

It's not always bad, but I personally think we have to take the good with the bad. We cannot be the change we want to see in the world if we don't know what's going on in the world. Just my $0.02.

SkiddyJ wrote: So should the news be avoided?

Not in my opinion.

SkiddyJ wrote: The second teaching is "Jedi maintain a clear mind; which can be achieved through meditation and contemplation. Our minds can become unduly troubled and concerned with the happenings of the world. We must work on overcoming our individual issues through training and diligence." Is that something we learn from avoiding it altogether? Or from learning to accept it and not let it effect you but by still having contact with it?

"Not at the expense of the moment." - Qui-Gon Jinn

I didn't want to dip into the fiction, but I think that quote suits my point well here.

Basically, as long as one is paying enough attention to the world around them...it is okay to ignore the details of news reports. I prefer to skim published articles than to watch too much news. My reasons for doing this vary depending on my mood. The point remains, if you don't feel the need to pay much attention to the details of news reports then don't bother. Take care of yourself and loved ones before stressing out over people, things, and places more remote.

~Lykeios - Adam KW King~

Simply put, no.
We should be aware of what is going on out in the world, and how that may effect us.
However we shouldn't allow what we read to disturb our inner peace, or get us on the wrong track.
What we hear on the news can make us sad, angry or scared. And that may make us constanly walking around with that in our heads, take the rise of AI for an example. Many people fear artificiall intelligence and i have spoken to those who fear it so much that they are constantly thinking of it.
Wich makes them quite impulsive in their everyday lives

So we should live in the now, if we see news about the war in syria then we should think "what can i do to help now/how does this effect me or the people around me now?" Instead of "oh no, now we are going to have war here soon too"

We should watch the news but also learn not to be anxious about it. It's ok to feel sad for the hurt, happy for the joyful but not at the expense of loosing yourself in the present.

I remember after 9/11 people had their TVs on CNN for weeks on end. Fear is what drove them to watch.

And sadly the same thing is happening now with all the terror attacks and public shootings, news channels are in full swing. The truth is "if it bleeds it leads" is a motto that the media follows and they will drive a story into the ground for ratings.

this is such a great question, and a tricky one

and also one that reminds me of a topic ive wanted to start for a while, which is "where do you get your news?"

as for OP

i mostly avoid the news

my personal conclusion is that, whether it is motivated commercially or ideologically, 99% of "news" (of television in general really) is a deliberate attempt at psychological manipulation

i am healthier for not subjecting myself to it

"knowing whats going on" is over rated in the extreme: most of "whats going on" is only important in the sphere within which it is going on

the VAAAAASTT majority of crap they shove in your face is CRAAP - its garbage and its unhealthy, and i dont go near it and i encourage others to stay away from it also

there are particular social and political themes and issues which i keep up with - war, civil rights, which includes the gender issues" and also the police shootings and police relations in general, "oligarchy", which is basically the way that financial interests drive policy, health, science, blah blah blah ect ect

the point is that i have topics that i follow

i keep tabs of a couple internet communities (although i am spending less and less time at others lately) and usually i catch on to whats happening through observation and interaction with others at the social level - this acts as kind of a filter for most of the B.S.

Keep in mind "news" is about selling advertising.

Think it depends.
I believe it is good to know what is local, but as it concerns the world it depends on your hero's journey. For example if you want to become a soldier it might be pertinent to know exactly what your country is looking at doing, that way you know what you're preparing for work. However, if your hero's journey is to help the homeless it may not be all that important.

I definitely understand where OP is coming from; I have noticed that when I pay attention to the news and follow all of the terrible things happening in the world I have many more frequent and severe panic/anxiety attacks and am generally more on edge and drown-trodden. I check the scroll on CNN or Yahoo once a day just to touch base and then I leave it alone. I'm aware but not saturating my day with the information. It's all a matter of control, if you can control the emotions that you experience when you are exposed to the news then you are fine but if the emotions control you perhaps smaller doses will benefit you until you learn to control them better (as I said; I am down to once a day because it has such an adverse effect on me.) I don't think that completely ignoring the news is a good idea because you still need to be aware but not under control.

The US has a knack for only reporting the terrible things in the world and you have to dig for an ounce of positivity (sounds a little manipulative, no?)
I really like Brenna's exercise with the news and may actually start doing that to develop more control over my emotions.
In closing; cutting off completely-probably not positive, but limiting negativity in your life is always beneficial. Good luck friend.