Some excellent thoughts here Justin.

For some time now, I've taken a very strict approach with the online world. I have always refused to be on Twitter, I don't have TikTok, and I use Facebook and Instagram purely to promote my work. I don't scroll. I do use Messenger to interact with friends, but that's different. The one area I do interact a lot is Medium, but I take care to avoid negativity here too.

I don't allow the news on television in my house. Rolling news is a poisonous brew of opinion, speculation, political bias (on all sides), and a transparent grab at gaining as many eyeballs as possible. In the US, it is even worse than here in the UK: A continual vomit of fear.

Once in a while, I get bare facts from sites like the BBC, but don't dwell on them. The news is built on negativity and does not reflect reality.

The internet has its uses, but it is important to put it in its place. It is a good servant and a bad master. I take regular breaks, and often go on walks (it's beautiful here in southwest England - loads of coastline, moors, woodland, and so on).