DAILYREFLECTION
Don't do that; fast for few days and then give it up for few days, offer prayers and also sleep at night, as your body has a right on you.
How much bad news did you take in this week? Count it in hours, not headlines.
After the Boston Marathon bombing, people who took in six or more hours of coverage a day reported more stress than many who had been at the race itself. Heavy watching and heavy distress tend to go together. The heart wasn't made to witness suffering on a loop.
A Companion once fasted every day and prayed all night. The Prophet ﷺ told him to fast some days and not others, and to pray but also sleep, because his body had a right over him. If even voluntary worship had a limit, our feeds can have one too.
Guarding your heart keeps it able to move when someone right in front of you needs you.
The plan:
Pick one window a day for the news, never first thing in the morning and never in bed.
Read a written report when you can, instead of watching raw footage.
Close each window with one act for the people you read about: a du'a by name, a donation, or a message.
First step: tonight, leave your phone in another room for the last hour before sleep, and make one du'a by name for someone you saw in the news today.
Reflect on this: What has my feed taken from me this week that I need back?