Sitting at a desk is more harmful than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day

The title is intentional, but bear with me as I make my point. I remember this sensationalist "news" being syndicated around the world a few years ago.

BS news masquerading as real news can cause just as much harm than genuine fake news. Sitting all day is bad yes. But saying it's worse than a pack of smokes? Alright, you've just lost all credibility. It makes rational people cynical. It makes people question what they're reading. When people get too cynical you know what happens? Anti-vaxxers, that's what. Then everyone loses.

Now to get to my point: I just saw this article: "First homebuyers need up to 18 years to save a deposit in some parts of Sydney"

First homebuyers need up to 18 years to save a deposit in some parts of Sydney - realestate.com.au

Seriously. Compared to what suburb? And a first home buyer? And what job / income?

I won't deny it's hard for first home buyers, but my sympathy goes in the toilet the moment I read intentionally evocative articles like this.

What I'm trying to say: sensationalist articles have the best of intentions, but cause the most amount of reputational damage.

There are genuine societal problems to do with class imbalance. But if you try to **** on my roof and tell me it's raining, then take a guess at how big my violin is.

 

Unfortunately if you fall for the BS narrative much of the media love to spin, you won't achieve much in life. Most 'news' being flogged to the masses by the media is riddled with agenda, inaccuracies and sometimes outright lies. It's poison for the mind, imo.

I stopped watching/reading most of the 'news' over a decade ago. News that I do watch and read, I mostly take with a pinch of salt.

 

When sites are after clicks instead of to actually inform, this is what you get.

With the internet breaking the advertising monopolies of the newspapers, it also took away the profits that allowed newspaper owners to afford some sort of journalistic independence.

 

Didn't you read the article?

"That deposit hurdle was the most pronounced in the Woollahra council area.

Those earning $161,000 a year, the average household income of residents in the affluent region, needed 18.3 years to save a deposit for a home priced at the area’s current median of $2.97 million.

And that’s not even including the stamp duty costs added on by the NSW government, which would require an additional $147,000 in upfront funds.

There was a similarly daunting deposit hurdle for first homebuyers in the Mosman area, who required 18.1 years of saving, while Waverley buyers needed 16 years."

AFAIK, $2.97m isn't quite FHB territory & nor is that level of income.

Smoking a packet/day would also impact your ability to save the deposit.

 

It was a rhetorical question. Although it was clear as day without even reading it that they would choose an area like that to base their article on.

 

Horses for courses as the same applies for a retail assistant on $45k trying to save for a $800k house in Blackett but all of their income goes towards essential spending with less available for discretionary items or savings.

 

If I dont smoke then isnt standing at a desk more harmful to me ?

Each year when they run the City to Surf they reports one of two deaths by heart attack. Or males aged 50+ riding a bike. I have never seen the stats for the people watching on TV dying. Perhaps its safer to sit and watch?

Media headlines are worded to gather attention. They are usually embellished generalisations

 

Legacy media has mostly been awful but now they have to compete with independent made content, their revenue drivers are drying up. In order to generate any revenue they are resorting to clickbait to fund advertising. It's a short term band aid on a gaping wound.

The next ten years will see a thinning of legacy media, but their demise could even be quicker if they continue to peddle in outrage and general garbage that divides society.

I like to think the ordinary person is intelligent and can mostly see through the nonsense, especially Gen Z who are quite media savy.