I’m Addicted to the Chaos
Look, I’m gonna be honest here. I’m a news junkie. A glutton for punishment. A masochist who can’t look away from the train wreck that is the 24-hour news cycle. It’s a problem, I know. But it’s my problem, and I’m gonna talk about it.
I’ve been a journalist for 22 years. Started at a tiny paper in Glasgow, moved to Edinburgh, then London, and now I’m back here, editing the Edinburgh Daily. I’ve seen it all. Or at least I thought I had.
But this? This constant, unrelenting barrage of information? It’s too much. It’s completley overwhelming. And yet, I can’t stop. It’s like a car crash. You don’t want to look, but you can’t tear your eyes away.
My Wake-Up Call
About three months ago, I was at a conference in Austin (yeah, I know, random). A colleague named Dave pulled me aside. He said, “Marcus, you look like shit.” Thanks, Dave. Really appreciated that.
He told me, “You’re always glued to your phone. You’re checking news apps every five minutes. It’s not healthy.” I laughed it off. But then I started noticing it too. The anxiety. The restlessness. The way my stomach would clench every time my phone buzzed.
I tried to cut back. I really did. But then something big would happen—like the Scottish independence referendum—and I’d be right back in the thick of it. Reading every article, every tweet, every goddamn comment.
The Digital Detox That Wasn’t
I tried a digital detox. Honestly, it was a joke. I lasted 36 hours. Thirty-six! I made it through breakfast, lunch, and dinner without checking my phone. Then, at 11:30pm, I caved. I told myself I just needed to “quickly” check the headlines. Yeah, right.
But here’s the thing—I found some digital detox tips practical guide that actually made sense. Like, setting specific times to check the news. Not keeping my phone in the bedroom. That kinda thing. It’s not a cure-all, but it’s a start.
The Problem with Breaking News
Here’s what’s really getting to me. The breaking news alerts. They’re everywhere. Every news outlet, every app, every website. And they’re all competing to be the first to tell you about the latest disaster.
But here’s the thing—most of the time, they’re wrong. Or incomplete. Or just plain sensationalized. I remember last Tuesday, there was a breaking news alert about a shooting in Edinburgh. My heart stopped. I immediately thought of my sister, who lives downtown. But by the time I called her, it turned out it was a false alarm. A firecracker, not a gunshot.
And that’s the thing. The constant state of panic. The way our brains are wired to react to these alerts. It’s not healthy. It’s not normal. And it’s not gonna change anytime soon.
Anecdote: The Time I Lost It
I’ll never forget the time I lost it over a news story. It was about a year ago. A colleague named Sarah posted something on social media that I thought was completely irresponsible. It was about a local politician, and she basically accused him of something without any evidence.
I confronted her about it. I said, “Sarah, you can’t just post stuff like that. You’re a journalist. You should know better.” She looked at me like I was crazy. “It’s just social media, Marcus. Chill out.” Which… yeah. Fair enough. But still.
It got me thinking, though. If even we—journalists, people who should know better—are falling into this trap of sensationalism and speculation, what hope do the rest of us have?
So What’s the Solution?
I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t. I wish I had some grand solution to offer. But I don’t. All I know is that we need to be more mindful. More critical. More discerning.
We need to stop letting the news control us. Stop letting it dictate our moods, our anxieties, our lives. We need to take a step back. To breathe. To remember that not every story is a crisis. Not every alert is a disaster.
And maybe, just maybe, we need to find a better way to stay informed. A way that doesn’t involve constant panic and anxiety. A way that doesn’t leave us feeling like we’re constantly on edge.
But for now, I’m still figuring it out. One day at a time. One news alert at a time.
And look, I’m not saying I have all the answers. I’m just saying that we need to talk about this. We need to acknowledge the problem. And we need to start finding solutions.
Because the news isn’t gonna change. But we can. We have to.
About the Author
Marcus Greenwood has been a journalist for over two decades, working in various roles across the UK. He currently serves as a senior editor at Edinburgh Daily, where he covers a wide range of topics, from politics to culture. When he’s not glued to his screen, he can be found hiking in the Scottish Highlands or arguing about football with his friends.
