On the home page

I usually have Google search page as my landing page as soon as I start my browser window. The reason was every time I needed some reference at work, it was easier to 'Google' it.

Last month, we had given our computer for a re-formatting. When the computer came back from the center, the home page in our Internet Explorer browser was set to a news page. I didn't bother much. I used my Google whenever I needed it, but since I am not working like before, I used the search page not so often.

It must have been three weeks with that set up of news page. Every day I got to read some unpleasant, saddening news of some problem, mishap, accident, tricked incident, fraudulence, and resistance. I didn't like it, but then took it as a fact of life. I used to quickly skip the page after the first story of mishap. This particular page had sixteen news bite pages. It was a nice page design and I thought it is better than reading a whole news paper.

One morning, just before I started my core writing for a technical subject, I thought another five minutes is not going to delay the work.. [ The minus point of freelancing..]and I started reading through the home page news bites. The first one was a war story, the second one was a scandal, the third one was a student case of unfairness, the fourth one was a murder, the fifth one was a case on trial, the sixth one was a problematic scene in politics, the seventh one was another murder trial, the eighth one was some renowned and one of my favorite singers' daughter's unfortunate death. I sat there, shocked!!!!.. The shock registered only after I read the news about someone I could associate with even as just another fan, but then realized that I have only read all mishaps and unpleasantness.. The world seemed like it is full of tragedies...

I changed the home page in the browser to about:blank, which is a blank page where you land every time you start your browser. Its been a week now, and I am a better person now. This is not to say that what I did was right, but then I guess I do not have the courage to read so many unpleasant news every day.

I used to avoid the news just for this reason and right from childhood never cared for current affairs. Some time mid-way I regretted for a very minimum time frame when I didn't know as much as the others on politics and world affairs, but then overcame it as I began to realize that it is sufficient to know what I must know for the overall growth as a person and not really worry about who is the next leader or where is the next cricket match scheduled.

Now, after a very long time, these news bites did bring a chance to read through some news from the world, but then, realized that most of what make the news are unpleasant and often cannot be digested all in a day by me. Unknowingly these news bites created a turmoil in me about life at large... Now that I have cleared my home page, I feel I am much better off.

Yes, I agree that there is so much happening in the world, but not necessary that you must know all of it. What you must know will reach you.

Comments

Sowmya Gopal said…
ohh..I totally agree, I never check the news page until I am well awake because the whole media works with 'no news is better than bad news' principle ! Yes, life is not a bed of roses, at least I get to choose when I want to learn about the thorns !

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