I’m done reading (and writing) doom & gloom articles.

Three years ago, I set a goal to read for at least one hour every day. I wanted to broaden my understanding of the world and what better way to do this, than to listen to diverse voices.

I’ve been reading all kind of articles. Long, short, quirky, intellectual, spiritual, deep, and dark — I’ve consumed them all. But it didn’t just end with reading, I then dove into the comments section, often adding my two cents, or discussing the content with others. With more than a few terse exchanges thrown in.

Many articles I’ve read inspired me. A few triggered memories, an old habit, or brought forth new awareness. And some led me down a path of despair, spiraling into a well of hopelessness about the world.

That’s where I find myself today.

You see, the more you read about how horrible things are, the more the algorithms show you the same type of content. It becomes a self-perpetuating cycle and quite frankly, it’s influencing my physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

If you look at my social media feeds, you might think everyone is a horrific human being, the world is going to hell in a handbasket and the human species is only minutes away from the apocalypse.