Originally released November 2023. Is following important political and international news a civic duty — or is it our civic duty to avoid it?

It’s common to think that ‘staying informed’ and checking the headlines every day is just what responsible adults do. But in today’s episode, host Rob Wiblin is joined by economist Bryan Caplan to discuss the book Stop Reading the News: A Manifesto for a Happier, Calmer and Wiser Life — which argues that reading the news both makes us miserable and distorts our understanding of the world. Far from informing us and enabling us to improve the world, consuming the news distracts us, confuses us, and leaves us feeling powerless.

In this episode:
• Rob's intro [00:00:00]
• Why you shouldn’t read the news [00:05:02]
• Strongest arguments for sticking with the news [00:28:37]
• Terrorism and the news [00:49:12]
• Enjoyment, empathy, and charity [00:55:44]
• Why Bryan is sceptical of AI risk [00:59:03]
• Voters as Mad Scientists [01:51:16]
• Allocating resources in space [02:08:21]
• Homeschooling [02:13:42]

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The 80,000 Hours Podcast features unusually in-depth conversations about the world’s most pressing problems and what you can do to solve them.

Learn more, read the summary and find the full transcript on the 80,000 Hours website:
https://80000hours.org/podcast/episod...