But as I started thinking more and more about it, I realized that the value of news diminishes over time. Yes, you may be completely caught up with Kardashians in 2013 and have a juicy story to share. But in April 2013, how valuable is it knowing what Aniston's dating situation was in 2010? Close to zero.
Let's contrast this with calculus. If you're an engineer, you use this information day in and day out. It doesn't matter if you learned the math in 2013, 2010 or 2000, it's still important. It's value remains high throughout time.
If you're in electronic media, understanding the basics of frequency and amplitude will always be important no matter when you learn it.
If you're in electronic media, understanding the basics of frequency and amplitude will always be important no matter when you learn it.
So is the news a simple waste of time? It sounds like a ridiculous question to ask. Let me clarify what I mean by an example. It is important to understand Obamacare. However, you can save much more time by reading the wiki summary after it was signed off, rather than investigate "what could be's" before signature. And what if the bill didn't even pass? Did everything you learn about Obamacare just lose an incredible amount of value?
I could list several examples. Instead of reading five ipad 3 rumours, read one ipad 3 review after the Ipad 3 has come out. Instead of listening in on developments of Curiosity's Landing, check back with the progress it made 5 months later. You'll get the same info and save a ton of time.
If you're ever wondering whether an article is worth reading, just ask yourself the five year question: Will I be glad that I read all these articles 5 years from now? Instead of wasting an hour reading the latest, spend five minutes on the greatest.
Do you want to be the dad that hides behind the newspaper after work? Toss it in the recycling bin, and spend some quality time with the kids and fam. After all, what is more important?
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© Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank You.
Do you want to be the dad that hides behind the newspaper after work? Toss it in the recycling bin, and spend some quality time with the kids and fam. After all, what is more important?
© Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas Shah and Learning More Than Living with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Thank You.
Five things to think about...
ReplyDelete1. Knowing who Aniston is dating is more entertainment as all tabloids are and should be differentiated from political and current events.
2. With something like Obamacare, it might influence how you vote in the next election so it would be important to know about it now.
3. Reading rumors is natural for anticipation of new products and can lead to you pre-purchasing or informing others about them.
4. Sometimes exciting news (such as Curiosity's successful landing) is a topic of conversation and people will bring it up. Then it might be good to be informed and maybe have something to contribute.
5. Are you asking yourself if these posts pass the five year test?
I will totally not remember that I read this five years from now... :) -Jonathan
ReplyDeleteSo I just stumbled upon this blog, and it's got a great variety of stuff. It seems this Kevin character enjoys trying to rip you apart, but I’d like to offer a few counterpoints.
ReplyDelete1. The entertainment news is marketed as news, and Nick’s point of its value diminishing over time remains valid.
2. How much does the details of the bill influence your vote? Most voting is done on strict bipartisan lines regardless, and the point is that it is unnecessary to follow all the minute changes and compromises until they’re finalized.
3. Rumors can be unreliable and the point of this is efficiency. Reading the one review means better shopping decisions.
4. If the topic is brought up, there is nothing wrong with learning from a conversation. It's better to listen about recent exciting things rather than waiting around for your turn to speak .
5. There’s nothing stopping this blog from mattering 5 years from now.
-A Random Guy on the Internet
While the value of some "news" (calling celebrity love-lives news is a stretch in my opinion) may diminish over time, much true news transitions into being a part of history. Being aware of current events allows us to better understand the world around us, form opinions, and make educated choices. For instance, reading about the mistreatments of overseas workers by certain large corporations allows a news-reader to take personal action to protest (or, I suppose, support) such actions if they so chose. Having the ability to experience and participate in history in the making is valuable.
ReplyDelete