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After you retire, do you relish the fact that you now have all the time you could wish to fully read the morning paper?
Or is the opposite true--now that you're retired you don't feel a desire to read a newspaper at all. Maybe you don't want to keep up with the news anymore. Or maybe, after you retire, you realize the real "news" isn't what's written in a newspaper.
Or, maybe you've grown tired of newspapers (just one more thing to have to throw away), but enjoy news programs online or on tv?
How have your media habits changed since retirement?
I would say that I am much more enformed as time goes by as we actually get more varied views on what the news is and its presentation. Not like the past when politically alined newpapers defined what was reported and now presented. I haven't read a newpaper since long before I retired just as their decline shows not just retired peope have given upon them as a soucre.
I tried to stay informed before I retired and now have more time to really read and explore more news sites. I don't watch TV or buy hardcopy newspapers anymore. It's all online and the foreign sites seem to be the best.
I would say that I am much more enformed as time goes by
I definitely feel my husband and I are reading more news articles, and are better informed the older we get. We still like newspapers in my household, although I also like a few internet news sites. I've always liked reading the paper in theory--but rarely had time to read more than a story or two when the kids were growing up. Now that the kids have grown I have time to read the whole paper and I feel much more informed about quite a few issues. I think in retirement I'll enjoy spending a full hour or more each day just reading the paper (although I may walk to the library and read it there; I could see that becoming a daily routine).
Sometimes I meet people who assume seniors are the "least informed" segment of society. I don't know why that would be. Most of the people in my tai chi class at the senior center seem well informed to me, as do the other seniors that I talk to at church, etc.
Over my working years, I spent a lot of time researching a wide range of news, financial, market and other trends - in an ever expanding number of 'data' sources. I discovered that most of what is written in the public media, and particularly on the open internet, is little more than opinion. It takes a lot of work to distill a huge range of varying data points on any given subject, to get some idea of the 'facts' (and it's often pretty humorous to see how far-fetched some of what is presented as a 'credible source' can get).
I still read some newspapers and magazines and watch the news, but, usually more for entertainment value, than reliable information. IMO, if one takes everything they hear/see in the 'News' with a 40-50% 'grain-of-salt', one is likely to be only slightly less informed ... than if they dedicate the same amount of time to reading opinions on CD-forum.
Get most of our news online, some on TV, haven't taken a newspaper in many years (most of them are pitiful nowadays, Catch 22). Reading more current affairs books now that I'm retired, enjoying that. I hope I am more informed now, but I am careful to hear as many sides as possible while not overdoing news timewise (it would be too easy). Most TV news is unnecessarily negative, unbalanced in terms of coverage vs priority, and often sensationalized - networks aren't news, their goal is viewers wherever that leads them. Probably TMI, so FWIW...
The older I get (I'm 65), the less I want to watch or read the news. I used to watch the news religiously but then a few days after 9/11 I said, "I can't watch these buildings come down one more time." And I turned off the news and I still try not to watch it. It's depressing, and especially political news makes my blood pressure go up. I have no control over world events, and I feel helpless when I see all these awful things going on all over the world.
My husband, on the other hand, is kind of a news junkie, so I bought him headphones so he can watch the local news, the national news, CNN, etc. etc. and I don't have to hear it. He also reads several newspapers daily, I go through them for coupons.
We live in North Florida. My mantra is, "Is there a hurricane coming? No? Then put on the cooking channel."
What WellShoneMoon said, plus increasingly the news is all a matter of "nothing new under the sun".
Obnoxious and corrupt politicians, ruthless dictators, serial and mass murderers, natural and man-made disasters, etc. : while I have compassion for the victims, these have always been and always will be with us, whether I peruse the details or not.
I skim news accounts, both print and digital, and occasionally something catches my interest. Mostly I prefer to engage in more pleasant and fruitful activities.
I grew up reading a newspaper everyday and the evening news was part of my life. As the internet become better and more informative, I stopped reading the newspaper and watching TV news. The newspaper is old news. TV news is just a waste of time. I have no patience to sit their and listen to their teaser about a story coming in the next segment, so I can watch all the commercials. I can easily go to the internet and the get better news and weather quicker.
In addition, the quality of the newspapers and TV news have deteriorated. They have basically become free advertising for whatever sports team that is drooled over by the coverage area. I hate sports and I cannot stand to listen to it constantly mentioned in every TV broadcast, all the time, everyday and in the opening empty headed chat. The newspapers lead is always some useless mundane story about some sports figure with the most colorful picture laded section devoted to sports.
There are few online newspapers that have quality that I enjoy, as The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor and some features of USA Today but the local newspaper, forgetaboutit!
I rarely watch TV and I have take no pleasure in these moronic TV shows and these overblown, inflated idiotic stars. I do enjoy features on Public TV. Local and National Network Commercial News is a big waste of my time. I have never had cable TV and I do not need it.
I do not even go to movies or buy DVD or watch modern talking moving pictures shows on the internet; I never rent movies. I have no interest in current movies. I finally went to a movie, after a ten year absence, because my niece insisted. The movie was garbage--something about monsters and men wearing black--I had no idea what the story meant. My niece just enjoyed irritating me by crunching popcorn in front of me; I hate popcorn. All the time, I had to pee because my prostrate was lively that day. I was told I could not even get a choice of the movie but I was given the honor of paying for the movie, the overpriced snacks and the meal afterwards, which at least I had the right to choose because I drove the car. I hate to see what will I be forced to eat, when she is able to drive. Well at that time, I may be ignored as the odd uncle and she would have found a young man to irritate who will pay and pay and pay.
The Internet is my news source and I can see and watch what I want, when I want. I will occasionally watch old free movies that are available--but I refuse to pay for any movies.
I do read books on my computer and my kindle but I have never bought an ebook. I read older books that are free and no longer of interest to these those who have more contemporary taste of the crowd mind.
Livecontent
Last edited by livecontent; 08-12-2012 at 10:26 PM..
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