January 28, 2026
Doomscroll Detox or Privilege Flex?
I Stopped Following the News
Quitting the doomscroll: self‑care move or out‑of‑touch
TLDR: A techie ditched daily news for local updates and books, claiming less stress and more learning. Comments split: some say it’s smart self-care, others call it a privileged risk for people whose rights hinge on politics, while moderates suggest weekly print or letting key stories find you.
A self‑described curiosity addict says he ditched daily news to stop the stress spiral and read more books—keeping only a local Hamburg newsletter from ZEIT and maybe a slow‑cooked magazine. Cue comment‑section fireworks. One camp cheered: the daily news is a dopamine vs. cortisol rollercoaster, and, as one put it, the truly relevant stuff will reach you through friends and real life anyway. Another camp went full reality check: not everyone can opt out. One commenter bluntly said their very right to exist depends on tracking political shifts, while another called the whole move a privilege available only to people insulated from the fallout.
Between the extremes, a cozy middle path emerged: a weekly, print‑only ritual. One reader said they treat The Economist like Sunday church—no doomscrolling, just a once‑a‑week catch‑up. Meanwhile, comic relief arrived courtesy of a user who tried blocking political sites and ended up thanking Facebook’s obnoxious pop‑up for acting like a surprise “news blocker.” The overall vibe: news fasting is either a wellness win or a dangerous blindfold, depending on your life situation. The author’s book binge (7 in January!) got nods, but the community’s final verdict? It’s less about quitting news and more about how and why you consume it.
Key Points
- •The author decided to stop following daily news after concluding it increased stress without improving understanding.
- •They found world and tech news rarely affected their daily life and often emphasized negativity or low-impact topics.
- •They continue to follow local developments through Die Zeit’s Elbvertiefung newsletter about Hamburg.
- •They are considering a low-frequency magazine covering major events in Germany, the EU, and globally to avoid short-term noise.
- •Since changing habits, the author reports reading more books (20 last year; 7 in January) and feeling better.