I don't actually read the news. I surmise the news based on memes that begin popping up for which I have no context.

You know how starring directly into the sun for too long leads to pain, damage, and blindness? Even just being exposed to it directly for too long can lead to burns, dehydration, and delirium. Best wear sunglasses, move into the shade, avoid spending too much time exposed, and drink more water.

This has been a metaphor, thanks for reading!

OP, this habit is exactly how old people fall victim to propaganda on facebook.

See funny picture and move on. 3 days later the topic comes up. You're not sure why, but you feel like whatever thing/person/group is bad. No facts needed, just vibes.

Hilarious as it may be, depending on where your memes are from, you may be more informed than others

That's ok because 59% of people who share an article don't read it either.

https://jaysondemers.medium.com/59-percent-of-you-will-share-this-article-without-even-reading-it-c1121c88534d

In glad that you acknowledge the problem, because it really is dangerous. Memes are often totally detached from reality, misleading sometimes by intention or at least through hyperbole. As a format they leave no room for nuanced or fully rounded thoughts.

That said, memes can be fun if you are aware of the context and understand what is true and what is not. At least, before taking away relevant information from a meme, check the story from a proper news site, for example Reuters.

If everyone is doing the same then you have a better grasp on the popular zeitgeist than any news pundit.

"News" is a very nuanced thing. Any news report already biases the facts, often without trying: different newspapers can state the same event in unique ways. And memes completely remove the nuance. So they are no longer "news", they are a one-off joke about some complex thing in real life.

Don't get me wrong I am the same as you, many news items I first hear via memes. But this is no way to learn about the world. I worry that our ability to digest and understand nuance is atrophying, at least in North America where I'm from.

What did you think had happened when Lemmy when full beam meme?

I oftentimes find myself being ahead of mainstream news on certain topics.

They’ll give a bite size explanation of said topic. When I already learned this from the day before.

I can’t say that the information differs a lot, it’s more that mainstream media gives a very brief and sometimes incomplete version of the story (time constraints).

Sometimes this happens to me as well. Usually when a celebrity does something news worthy that is how I discover it. Or when sports things happen.

I will say though that, while you are probably right that only learning about news through memes is not a good way to be informed, the other extreme (obsessing over every headline) is probably bad too.

As unsolicited advice I’d recommend finding a few long form journalism sources and following them to get a better feel for the news. Doing the over time I have found that i am informed without the hysteria that often comes from 24 hour news cycles.

It's a dangerous way to be a human...

Like, you're coasting on "nothing catastrophic has happened to me yet"

And eventually, you're gonna get blindsided by something big.

That approach makes up a large part of the world in which we now live. It is also one reason why things are as messed up as they are. On the other hand, whether or not to read the news has become a major mental health issue, so I'm not going to blame anyone who avoids it.

It is ok to skim headlines, but it is a good thing to read a newspaper article in depth, to truly become knowledgeable.

I used to do the same thing by reading the comics only in the news. I was much happier then.

There's probably worse ways to get information of the world.

Same. Not like my socially anxious ass that bursts into a panic attack at the slightest in person disagreement who lives in a deep red state in a medium sized town an hour away from the nearest major city can do much.

I'm currently browsing through the top posts of the last month, trying to find the news that sparked the DOW over 50,000 memes. I'm now at ~300 upvotes and still nothing.

I think a lot of people are doing that. That's kind of how we revived the far-right everywhere.

As someone who reads the news, it's so tereible right now that you probably shouldn't read it directly. It would be risky to mental health and happiness.

One of the reason why comedians are becoming inpostant sources of news. Jimmy Kkmmel and Colbert and that kind of thing. the medicine goes down with a spoon full of sugar.

In ancient celtic culture comedians were very powerful figures. I heard they were forbidden from having heirs, like clergy, because fhey were so powerful. They could topple kings with fhwir skills.

The biggest threat to dictators and fascists are journalists. and comedians are the new journalist.

I don't know anyone who refuses to READ news who isn't also a fucking idiot.

Really, your probably still getting plenty of information without all the stress.