My partner is baffled when she mentions something notable that has happened and I have no idea (think earthquakes, the recent volcano eruption, etc.). My friends think I'm clueless about the world around me. My coworkers don't know what to think - most of them still see the value in watching the news.

But for me, the news is a terrible waste of time.

Why? Two reasons:

News is timely, but I'd rather focus on the timeless

How is it that all the news that happened in the world can fit into a newspaper? With the news changing every day, I have no idea what to believe. I don't know or want to know the credibility of a news outlet. I don't care about which way media stations are leaning.

Instead, I read books. The older the better. If you haven't read an old book, you would be surprised how many of the best sellers out there are a different take on a timeless topic already covered before.

News is a time suck, I'd rather invest my time elsewhere

Do an internet search of any major news item and you'll find hundreds of different articles covering it which way and that. Do you know the best thing about not watching the news? People will ask me "hey did you see X?" I'll say "no, what's the news on X?" And then those people will tell me.

I figure if something is important enough to be discussed during small talk, someone will bring it up and tell me about it. At that point, I can then decide if I want to invest more time into learning about it or be done with it.

Still think the news is worth your time? Think again.