Why are we supposed to be looking at the Covid stats obsessively anyway? What good does it ever do? Wear a mask, wash your hands, and go about your life as best you can. It is out of your hands whether case numbers go up or down. Fruitless worry is a scourge. You’ll hear about it if something changes in terms of restrictions – otherwise, obsessing over the stats is pointless imo.
> How do I stop ‘doomscrolling’ Covid data?
>Prof Rutledge likens controlling those emotional impulses to a rider trying to control an elephant and suggests using “mindful intention” to keep the rider in control.
> Tricks like setting time limits for your searching can help to interrupt behaviours you return to unconsciously.
And what? Give myself the time and headspace to recognise the more immediate problems in my life? Maybe find ways to fix them, improve my relationships? all while building a habit to not fall victim so easily to algorithms that are designed to rape my attention span?
Get jabbed, wear a mask inside, practice good hygiene. Move on with life.
Much is said about the benefits of a social media detox, but round the clock news coverage can be just as damaging.
My Da has stopped slapping Sky news on at every opportunity, and to no one’s surprise he’s also stopped complaining about some new horror headline every time I go to make a brew.
The media do need to keep reporting the stats, for transparency reasons. It’s up to individuals if they want to pay attention to that over Christmas. I’m pretty sure I won’t.
90% of news is what might happen and not what is actually happening.
Mask.
Wash hands.
Reduce contact as much as possible.
Wait and see what actually happens.
Social media and news scrolling is bad for you..
Go for a walk, listen to the birds, talk to friends and react to what is confirmed.
You cant control anything other than your reactions and your actions.
The people who don’t want to follow the numbers have been saying that it’s time to stop looking at the daily stats since the summer (and in the case of the so called “sceptics” who just want to deny that Covid is a thing, since summer of 2020).
If you don’t want to look at the daily numbers, don’t look at the daily numbers. But demanding that the information be kept from the people who would *like* to follow what’s going on just seems like censorship.
9 comments
Why are we supposed to be looking at the Covid stats obsessively anyway? What good does it ever do? Wear a mask, wash your hands, and go about your life as best you can. It is out of your hands whether case numbers go up or down. Fruitless worry is a scourge. You’ll hear about it if something changes in terms of restrictions – otherwise, obsessing over the stats is pointless imo.
> How do I stop ‘doomscrolling’ Covid data?
>Prof Rutledge likens controlling those emotional impulses to a rider trying to control an elephant and suggests using “mindful intention” to keep the rider in control.
> Tricks like setting time limits for your searching can help to interrupt behaviours you return to unconsciously.
And what? Give myself the time and headspace to recognise the more immediate problems in my life? Maybe find ways to fix them, improve my relationships? all while building a habit to not fall victim so easily to algorithms that are designed to rape my attention span?
Pfft, that sounds like a lot of hard work. Anyone interested in this neatly nicknamed [‘*doomsday’ glacier*](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/18/scientists-watch-giant-doomsday-glacier-in-antarctica-with-concern)?
Get jabbed, wear a mask inside, practice good hygiene. Move on with life.
Much is said about the benefits of a social media detox, but round the clock news coverage can be just as damaging.
My Da has stopped slapping Sky news on at every opportunity, and to no one’s surprise he’s also stopped complaining about some new horror headline every time I go to make a brew.
The media do need to keep reporting the stats, for transparency reasons. It’s up to individuals if they want to pay attention to that over Christmas. I’m pretty sure I won’t.
90% of news is what might happen and not what is actually happening.
Mask.
Wash hands.
Reduce contact as much as possible.
Wait and see what actually happens.
Social media and news scrolling is bad for you..
Go for a walk, listen to the birds, talk to friends and react to what is confirmed.
You cant control anything other than your reactions and your actions.
The people who don’t want to follow the numbers have been saying that it’s time to stop looking at the daily stats since the summer (and in the case of the so called “sceptics” who just want to deny that Covid is a thing, since summer of 2020).
If you don’t want to look at the daily numbers, don’t look at the daily numbers. But demanding that the information be kept from the people who would *like* to follow what’s going on just seems like censorship.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/my-twitter-conversation-with-the-chairman-of-the-sage-covid-modelling-committee
A very interesting article on a lot of these ‘government urged by experts’ headlines too.
“State media instructs citizens to ignore the evidence of how badly the government is handling the pandemic”