In the world of private action, most of us sail on easygoing waters. We work, we have fun, we are happy a lot and a little sad, and most of all, we maintain cautious optimism. In contrast, in the world of news, the drama is intense, the reality is difficult, and the future is stressful. Updates from here and there flood the screens. Injured, dead, sick, misery and distress. You haven't even had time to digest one tragedy and you're already dealing with the next one.
And if the present isn't enough, the experts and forecasters also blacken the future for us. Something bad is always expected to happen. Floods, traffic jams, viruses, economic recession, revenge attacks, and more. There is no moment without distress.
Before the world was a village, the villagers were quite peaceful - because they didn't know much, and above all, they were less informed. News about a horse that broke a leg or an elderly person who died was the height of the update. Today, disasters and virtual threats are washing over us in waves, and the rural tranquility is fading.
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Even when we're sitting with a cup of coffee or a good beer, bad news pops up from our smartphone, and then another. You walk around with a siren in your pocket and a chuckle in your head, and that's before we even mention harassment and distress messages from friends and relatives. The only state in which you can disconnect from the stream of consciousness is "flight mode." But on airplanes, the spaces between the seats are narrow and there's no rest.
When screens can't be turned off, the solution is emotional mute: seeing and hearing, but reducing engagement. This phenomenon has negative social consequences, but perhaps there is no choice. In such a busy news world, people need a little old-fashioned rural tranquility.
