"Say No to News"- And so they said!

Yesterday I had some free time, and was hence spending (wasting) it on Quora. I came across a survey question “How would your life change if you stopped watching and reading the news?”. What surprised me was that no-one had written in any answer that they would actually be missing anything. People felt that reading news makes them “anxious”. They learn nothing they can use in real life, and that they were only wasting time.

This shocked me a little. Not one person felt there was something wrong with NOT READING THE NEWS. They all felt they were better off without it. This told me that something was seriously wrong- either with me or with them. I could relate to what they were all saying, as I had often seen the same feelings being projected from my friends (just not as confidently- oh the benefits of Anonymity). I decided to do something which I don’t usually do too much- actually answer a question on Quora. I could have thought of a lot more reasons and try and articulate them nicely (like I would if it was for my blog), but hey- it was not the greatest gathering of intellects of the country, it was Quora! I wrote what came on the spur of the moment, and what was pretty obvious (to me). I also tried to avoid saying things which sounded nearly the same had some very essential but fine differences, again for the same reason- not the finest intellects, only Quorans!

Here I produce the answer in its full. I hope either some of you will agree, or atleast I will learn something new!

• I would not know what is happening around the world. Granted, yes, I would be a lot less anxious about the safety of my family, my sister and my girlfriend- but it'd be a false sense of security. I could no longer make rational decisions that might actually help them, but just dream on that they are safe and that I am doing all I could to help them.
• I would be a lot less curious as well. I would literally be The Frog in the Shallow Well, happy in my blissful ignorance.
• I would also be a lot more mean and selfish, thinking that what matters to me is what matters globally too.
• I would not know politics, and hence not be a good citizen capable of making even the smallest difference to my country by voting the men who can make a difference.
• I would not be economically as sound. I would never know, for eg, the tax laws that have been changed recently, or the countries I should invest more in given their proper economic outlook, which might help me to make more profits, hence handicapping and harming me economically.
• I would not know of recent trends, and hence never be able to successfully invest in stock/housing/retail markets too. There a reason the experts of investing read so much news, and stay updated.
• I would not know of the next big star or celebrity or band coming to my city, and miss on a lot of concerts I would love to attend.
• I would miss the death of a beloved icon (like Nelson Mandela) or retirement of a star (like Sachin Tendulkar) and hence feel aloof from the bigger story (until, of-course, I choose to become completely ignorant of everything and hence forgot what all these years of reading has taught me as well).
• I would not be able to know of disaster struck areas, and so never volunteer my help.
• I would not be able to learn small things which can be learned passively--like see politicians back-track their statements, and hence co-relate that with office-politics, maybe.
• I would never learn to see the other side of the debate or the conversation.
• I would not be able to co-relate my logic to anything that has already happened in the past, which could actually help me make my point or help people not take wrong decisions as they could see the parallel proof.
• I would be seriously out of date with my facts and figures, which at times can mean all the difference in the world.
• I would never know of science and the latest developments the human species has made, and hence not undergo the feeling of awe and desire (like I felt when we once again landed a rover on moon a day ago).
• I would not be as full of nationalist pride, as I won't know what all my country is achieving (like the recent successful shuttle launch to Mars done by India).  
• I would never know what new gadgets are out there, and what suits my requirements the most or can help me become more productive, thus losing hundreds of man hours I could use enjoying or sleeping :P
• I would not know anything except my immediate surroundings, making me short sighted and generally less mature and tolerant.
• I would feel a lot less confident going to a interview. Saw this during my college placements, where guys were running helter-skelter trying to find out all the news in one day. Interviewers usually love guys who know more than the bare minimum requisite, and everyone loves a guy who can interest them!
• I would even be scared to go and talk to anyone in a bar or a club too, effectively ruining my social life as well. What if people there are talking about---well, about ANYTHING??!!
• I would not be able to talk about anything except what I ate and how the day is too hot/rainy/windy/dry/cold. And I believe I can actually DIE of a panic attack if told such mundane topics are to be the focus of the rest of my life. 
• I would never gain interest in things which do not happen in my own immediate surroundings, hence stopping me from trying to find out and learn new arts and skills.
• I would even miss the movie reviews, and maybe not watch any movie at all or spend hours watching movies a simple rating could have told me not to watch.
• I would be a boring conversationalist, and not too popular a party guest either.
• I could never think of all these points to write here, and so be generally a lot less smart and quick thinking than I currently am.
• I would have missed out on a lot of fun in life.