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.
