BREAKING NEWS: How do you keep up?

So to say there's a lot going on in the world right now would be an understatement.

Just when we thought times couldn't get any more turbulent, the universe seemed to stop, turn around and whisper,  'hold my beer'.  What was once harmless scrolling through Twitter, Instagram or even Facebook *shudder*,  has now become a never-ending news cycle rabbit hole, and any longer than five minutes will only cause your inner monologue to plead with you to 'make it stop!!'. Whether it's government updates, a breaking news story or Karen's questionable status, the overload of information can be more than overwhelming. And when so much of what's being reported is incredibly important, this can become a problem.

Why? Because there's no time to take it in, to process it, learn from it, and understand it. The vital movements which are happening across the world which are a crucial cornerstone of change are being diluted and taken advantage of (e.g. don't use a protest as a backdrop for your sponsored insta post please and thank you.) We skim headline after headline across social media, Whatsapp, MSN news, and words - often very important ones - become distorted, skewed, and of course, reshared.

Whilst real time access to news, thanks to the likes of Twitter etc has been revolutionary, it can also present real problems, namely in the form of over consumption, and fake news. With people being at home more often than they otherwise would be, screen time has increased dramatically, and the likelihood of your family member on Facebook sharing that viral Daily Mail article has similarly sky rocketed. Chances that they've checked it for validity? Slightly lower. 

OK ok, so I realise this may seem like a *bit* of a rant, and I would be lying if I said it wasn't, but in my humble opinion, I feel it's a pretty important one. The news is actually an incredible useful resource, and whilst it can often be hard to see past the hashtags, accurate reporting is the only real way we can find out about anything beyond our front doors. So how can we make the most of the information we're fed?

Check your sources. I think I need to get this tattooed. As you probably know, there was plenty of misinformation flying around the web about Covid, most of it courtesy of someone's Mum's-cousin's-brother-in-law's-sister-twice-removed who knows someone who knows someone else who seemed totally legit.

Take your time.  With news being thrown at us left, right and centre, keeping up to date with what's going on is pretty much equivalent to a full-time job. Keeping informed is important, but in most cases pointless if you've only read the headline and not the article. After all, learning and understanding from what you've just read takes longer than a five minute scroll when you're waiting for the kettle to boil.

You are allowed to take a day off or two. Really. Whilst it can feel weird disconnecting, especially  during times like these, taking a breather from your news feed might be just what you need. And not something to feel guilty about. It's your offline actions that are most important.

How do you keep up with what's going on in the world?

xxx

You can find resources and places to donate to the incredible Black Lives Matter movement here.

Photos on film c/o nick.anastasiou.photography