This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Dear Cable News,

My friend Gretta recently put out this question on Facebook: What are you giving up for Lent?

So here's the deal. My religious tribe doesn't formally observe the season, but I think it provides people with an awesome opportunity to reflect and push a reset button, which is why I observe Lent on my own.

Anyway. I've been deciding what to give up this year. At first I thought I would give up Dr Pepper the way some people give up alcohol each spring. But I can't. I'm weak, and I own it.

I also wondered if I should give up the habit of weighing myself every morning. There are lots of people out there who contend that weighing yourself every day helps you manage your weight, but for me (a Weight Watchers Lifer) it has become an unhealthy obsession. If I see that I've gone up an ounce from the day before, I feel bad about myself. In fact, I feel bad about the entire world. In fact, I go from optimistic to hopeless in 60 seconds or less.

Which, Dear Cable News, is exactly how I feel whenever I watch YOU.

The problem is, I watch you a lot. I'm not sure when I picked up this insidious habit — maybe during Desert Storm? Every time I turned on the TV back in the day, General Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf was standing military proud and smart in front of a camera, updating us about the situation in Iraq. Among other things, Desert Storm was real reality TV, and I became hooked the same way some people become hooked on "Real Housewives."

As with many other addictions, however, I didn't realize I was becoming so dependent on you, Dear Cable News, with your dramatic "breaking news" updates that get my adrenaline pumping and your contentious discussions that get my blood boiling. I didn't pay attention to the fact that I kept the TV tuned into you all day long, except, of course, when there was an episode of "The Good Wife" or a game I wanted to watch on another channel.

I go to CNN first out of habit. Among other things, CNN has provided me with an opportunity to watch that young military-affairs reporter Wolf Blitzer grow old like the rest of us. I also watch MSNBC and Fox, just to see how differently the same story can be framed. Or, in some cases, completely ignored.

But you know what? As soon as I walk into a room these days and hear talking heads talk, talk, talking — even talking heads I like — my own head blows up. Boom!

I think this means it's time to quit you, Dear Cable News, even though it's viewers like me who created you and therefore, by extension, today's toxic political climate where Americans with differing opinions have a hard time being civil with one another. Something about your relentless 24/7, ratings-driven coverage has brought out the worst in us.

I want to be clear here. I'm not quitting the news altogether. It's just that for the next 40 days, I'm going to limit my news intake to print. That way I can stay informed without having to pop a Xanax while I'm at it. Seeing and hearing a story, as opposed to reading one, is a less visceral experience for me these days.

After Easter, I'll let you know how things went. Will I feel more charitable toward my fellow citizens after detoxing? I don't know. We shall see.

Meanwhile, so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night.

Sincerely,

Ann Cannon

Ann Cannon can be reached at acannon@sltrib.com or facebook.com/anncannontrib.