In this post, I continue our ‘2026 year of positive thought and imagination’ theme by sharing information on “news addiction” and introducing you to the 1440 Daily Digest, an independent newsletter dedicated to providing unbiased news.

According to Science Daily, 16.5 percent of adults suffer from news addiction, “a compulsive, technology-driven habit of constantly checking news.”¹ (That percentage seems low, does it not?) It begins with a desire to stay well-informed, but morphs into an obsession that disrupts daily life in various ways, including high anxiety levels, health problems, stress and irritability.

With 24-hour television and radio news channels so readily available, as well as instant access to news via laptops and smart phones, the struggle is real for those people with news addiction. Signs of this disorder include constantly checking for updated news reports, inability to stop thinking about news stories, neglecting other people so you can consume news, and associated sleep disturbances.²

News addicts have a major case of FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out – and fear not having the latest and greatest updates about news stories. Most people can readily identify people they know who remain glued to the television news hour after hour or constantly have their eyes focused on their smart phones. They watch the same stories over and over again in case there are even small additions to the reports.

Fortunately, there are ways to break the addiction, including: Limiting Consumption – Setting specific and limited times for checking the news and reducing the total time spent on consuming the news to one hour a day. Turning Off Notifications – Removing news apps and alerts from your phone. Focusing on Local News – Filtering out national and global noise, which is often more sensational than local news. And Engaging in Hobbies – Replacing news consumption with offline hobbies and fun activities to use free time wisely and break the news habit.³

Although I’ve never had an issue with news addiction – in fact, I’m quite the opposite and have long limited my news consumption to about half an hour – I do have a suggestion for those with a news consumption compulsion: Sign-up for the 1440 Daily Digest. It’s a daily email of fact-driven news that can be read in about five minutes, covers the major news events, focuses on consequential information only, and is committed to stopping the spread of misinformation.

The 1440’s mission is to “champion learning as a vital daily practice by building a knowledge collective where curiosity thrives and learning never stops,” and its editorial and partner standards demand that “clarity and integrity aren’t optional; they’re the backbone of every story we tell and every brand we partner with.”⁴

“We all have our likes and dislikes. But, when we’re doing news, when we’re doing the front-page news…not the op-ed pages, but when we’re doing the daily news, covering politics, it is our duty to be sure that we do not permit our prejudices to show,” said longtime CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, long known as the most trusted person in news. “That is simply basic journalism…In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story.”⁵

That truly is basic journalism and where we need to be. Cronkite also said, “I’m a liberal, but I’m not biased. Seriously.”⁶

American economist Thomas Sowell said, “If people in the media cannot decide whether they are in the business of reporting news or manufacturing propaganda, it is all the more important that the public understand the difference, and choose their news sources accordingly.”⁷

In a divided world with most everyone choosing sides, straightforward and factual news reporting is needed more than ever. 

REMEMBER

◊ Comedian Jerry Seinfeld said, “It’s amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world every day always just exactly fits the newspaper.”⁸ Funny, of course, but also telling. 24-Hour News Channels must fill 24 hours with content. It’s the same content offered repeatedly, but fills the amount of time allotted for it.

◊ American historian Christopher Lasch said, “The effect of the mass media is not to elicit belief, but to maintain the apparatus of addiction.”⁹

◊ Visit www.davidajolley.com for additional blog posts, other interesting content, and updates on future book releases and appearances.

1. Taylor & Francis Group, “News addiction linked to not only poor mental wellbeing but physical health, too, new study shows,” Science Daily, August 24, 2022; ↩︎
2.  Texeira, Arlene, “Does Anyone Else Find Themselves Addicted to News?”, Freedom Blog, August 19, 2024; https://freedom.to/blog/addicted-to-news/ ↩︎
3. Marino, Elizabeth, “5 Ways to Avoid a News Addiction,” Hartford HealthCare Health News, September 9, 2022; https://healthnewshub.org/five-ways-to-avoid-a-news-addiction/ ↩︎
4. Join1440.com, “About 1440,” https://join1440.com/about-us. ↩︎
5.  Cronkite, Walter, Brainy Quote, https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/walter-cronkite-quotes ↩︎
6. Cronkite, Walter, Brainy Quote, https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/walter-cronkite-quotes ↩︎
7.  Sowell, Thomas, Brainy Quote, https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/thomas-sowell-quotes ↩︎
8.  Seinfeld, Jerry, Brainy Quote, https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/jerry-seinfeld-quotes ↩︎
9. Lasch, Christopher, Brainy Quote, https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/christopher-lasch-quotes ↩︎