rips and slams

A lot of people these days are partially blaming the media for the problems we're having with the economy. I tend to agree. After all, much of a person's willingness to spend money is based on his perception of whether or not he will continue to have money in the future. If you watch/read the news frequently, then all you're going to hear about is how bad the economy is: bankruptcies, foreclosures, layoffs, companies collapsing, inflation, etc. None of this is positive, and none of it is going to lead you to believe that you'll have a job, or a house, or any semblance of financial security in the months and years to come. So, you save your money. You pay down debt. You live in fear, and you contribute to economic stagnation.

Negativity in the news is what gets people's attention. How many people died? How many people are sick? How many people lost their jobs? How much money was lost? After a while, you get used it, and you don't even care that it happens, unless it's an extreme occurrence. I remember coming here and laughing because a big deal was made on the local news because there was one murder that day. Coming from LA, one murder is peanuts. You'd be grateful for one murder, for one day of such unprecedented peace and calm in the city. Not here, however. It was a big deal, and you know what? It's sad that anyone would get to a point where they don't care about such things.

In any case, the media knows about desensitization, and they believe you won't continue to tune in unless you continue to be overstimulated. This is my problem with the media. Not the negativity, but the continual increase in "volume". The hype. The distortion. You can see it in words like this:

rips
slams
tumbles
plunges
plummets

Someone says they don't like something, and it becomes a "slam". The price of oil drops a couple bucks, and it "plummets". One person might be killed, and it becomes a "rampage".

I wouldn't have a problem with this if we all talked that way, but we don't. In fact, I don't know anyone who talks like this--at least, no one that people don't think is full of crap. That's just what people think of those who exaggerate.

I'm tired of it, but I feel like I need to be connected. Maybe I'll just tune in less.