News or Views? (An Opinion)

The news is not the news, it's just about views. Views in two different senses. First, the views and opinions of whoever wrote the piece. Second, headlines and story lines designed to get "views." People are terminally curious, and most likely addicted to online drama. Did you read about the three teenaged sisters jumping out of a nine-story apartment building to their deaths because their father took away their phones? Their ages were 16, 14 and 12, and they were hooked on some online "game." Go figure. The dad said if he had known about the "game" he would not have let them play it. I think it is pretty lame to blame it on the game. There are plenty of other things to consider, but obviously I can't imagine what he must be going through right now. This happened somewhere in India, but it could have happened anywhere, I suppose. Anyway, again, the more shocking the better, that is what things have evolved into. There is more drama in real life nowadays than in any soap opera or action-packed thriller in a movie theatre. Ever since Jerry Springer started bringing people's dirty laundry into our living rooms, the media has gotten more and more revolting. I used to think it was kind of rewarding to watch "Cheaters." That was a long time before digital boxes and cable TV. In other words, you used to be able to turn on the TV and watch local stations, I don't even remember if you had to have rabbit ears. I'm really very unversed in all this stuff, but I remember in about 2006 or so I could watch nothing on TV without cable and as soon as they went from VHS to DVD I quit watching movies. I actually had a DVD player at one time, a miniature one. And I can actually watch videos on my laptop if I want to but I don't like to do it. I like watching them on a TV screen, so I still watch an occasional movie with my old VCR on my old 1990 TV. Actually, a lot of my movies are available on Tubi now so I can watch them there if I want to. The sound is better even though it's on a computer screen and not a TV screen. You see, I really was born in the wrong century. The more techy the world gets, the more I resist, and nobody really cares and it won't change anything. Time marches on, as they say. They can have all their technological advancements, I don't care. Everything about news has become nothing but a ploy to get people to watch. I got another communication from Nielsen. The other time they sent me a dollar. They want me to contribute to some survey they supposedly will give me $15 to complete. I completed it. Now they want to be able to call me and said by sending them all my contact information I am giving them permission to "collect personal information, including sensitive personal information, to help ensure our study is comprehensive." Not sure it's worth $15.They said they would send me cash but I don't believe it. If I do it online I will get a digital gift card which I can use at Amazon, Target, Walmart of a "cash transfer via Venmo or PayPal." I don't have either of those. I don't think it's worth it. News or Views? Neilsen, of course, has been in business for a long time trying to figure out what people want to watch or listen to in the media, and I am probably as much of a consumer of media as anybody, but not as much as everybody, perhaps, and less and less all the time, for the reasons stated above. To summarize, because the news is not the news. It's mostly just biased views of the creators of the stuff, and for the purpose of acquiring "views," and it is mostly a waste of precious time. I can find out what's going on in five minutes online, but after about five minutes I am beginning to feel sick to my stomach with all the sensationalism. I don't know about you, but I really think it was better 50 years ago. Why do you think they still have those old shows on Me-TV? The Nielsen research didn't even ask about them. So, I doubt if it's worth $15 to send them my answers. They probably lied about sending me $15 cash anyway.