Stating the Obvious

For me, reading the news usually serves a threefold purpose. The first one is obvious, which is getting caught up on current events and happenings around the world. But, if you've had a Bloomberg news feed on your computer for the last few years, it's really hard to be earnestly interested in the news anymore. Good news, bad news, market fluctuations and employment figures have all become white noise to me. I like to say I’m a big picture person. This could be misconstrued in my industry as being imprecise and, well, lazy.

The second purpose just might be a personal quirk, but I like reading really weird or cute news. One article I really, heartbreakingly enjoyed in this category had to do with a baby bear that got its head stuck in a cookie jar: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/15/bear-cub-jar-stuck-head

The final type of news articles I gravitate towards is those that refine and articulate the obvious, on topics that have previously crossed my mind. Maybe this category is a little narcissist because it lets me momentarily believe that I could, as well, be a printed journalist for a paper such as the New York Times.

I read an article this morning about how people who don't check their emails constantly and consistently have lower stress levels. These statements, naturally, are supported by bonafide governmental and sociological studies. The piece by Nick Bilton is titled 'Taking E-Mail Vacations Can Reduce Stress, Study Says'. Hmmm... no sht!

Experts should consider running an empirical study on the stress levels of smartphone users. I use mine for mostly social purposes, so I can only speak to that point. I really want to lock my phone and laptop in my work desk drawer for a weekend and see what happens. Will I literally be bored to tears, or will I actually have a restful weekend sitting in front of the television with no other distractions? Most friends would probably think that my self-imposed social experiments are masochistic. But I think I need to unplug a little... typing 190 wpm on a phone with just two thumbs should be considered neither a talent nor a skill. It’s an illness.

Now, I just need to pick a weekend where I haven't already arranged things. That brings me to ... Saturday, October 20. Please pencil me in for dropping off the face of the earth.