That’s how I realized the most important takeaway from this experiment: When you rely on others for your news, you end up trapping yourself in a social echochamber. You only know what everyone you know considers to be important, so you miss out on everything else.
As I became more removed from what was going on in the world, it became more difficult for me to engage in the important discussions going on in my social sphere.
Overall, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with disconnecting for a brief respite from the news. For someone like me, who is deeply entrenched in that world, it may even be necessary. But this behavior isn’t a long-term solution to the quickened pace and increased volume of stress-inducing news stories that surface almost every day. It’s a coping mechanism — one that could backfire if you rely too heavily upon it.
It may feel good to tune out and pretend that your life won’t be impacted by current events. But in reality, staying informed about national discussions and engaging in them is the only way to ensure that your voice is heard.