Political protest is having a moment. People across the U.S. and around the world are protesting President Trump’s travel ban. Two weeks ago, The Women’s March may have been the largest protest demonstration in US history. More than 3.3 million people in 500 US cities marched.
All of this has me thinking about what it takes to get peoples’ attention. The information environment is so cluttered that it is possible to curate out anything that we do not want to see. The important news stories about the world we live in are not always rising to the top. I recently spoke to an acquaintance at the gym and mentioned Aleppo. She was shocked. “How long has this been going on?” she asked. My gym friend is in her twenties and gets a lot of her news from social media. The genocide in Syria has been going on for over five years, and only recently have stories of Syria become a topic of conversation. Five hundred thousand people have been killed, many more displaced. This has happened on our watch. And it is still going on.
“The first step toward change is awareness.” - Nathaniel Branden, psychotherapist
The importance of being aware and thinking critically
I think we have a responsibility to be aware of what is happening in the world. And we have a responsibility to engage in the conversation around the issues that shape our world today. The United States just elected a president who uses Twitter to fight with the media and to, at times, mislead people.
On a recent episode of Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, Russian American journalist Masha Gessen perfectly articulated Donald Trump’s relationship to words: “He uses language to assert his power over reality.” When Samantha Bee expressed doubt that Trump had the cunning to do that consciously, Gessen explained that it’s “instinctual” like a bully on a playground. The bully takes your pencil case but says he hasn’t taken it, and you can see it right there in his hand. Unfortunately for us, this may not end well. “You do not get your pencil box back,” Gessen says.
The only thing we can do when our leaders and politicians try to take our pencil box is to be constantly critical and read and think for ourselves. When you read the facts and information out there, you may come to different conclusions than I have. You may have a different opinion than I do. That is great! That is what democracy is based on. But if you are getting all of your news from Instagram alone, it would be a good idea to look into some reputable news sites. If you are not sure what those are, some examples include but are not limited to, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, The Huffington Post. I recommend visiting a number of sites and seeing how they all cover the same events in slightly different ways. What word choice does The Post use to describe The Women’s March? How does it compare to The Times? How does it compare to one of your favourite blogs? Now, after reading all that, what do YOU think? I feel that it is important in times like these to form your own opinions and base them on actual facts.
“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” - Unknown
Don’t just talk. Say something.
I have built my business on speaking on behalf of people, products and causes I care about. Social responsibility is at the core of the work I do. I feel privileged to be able to live my beliefs and thankful that I have the ability to do work that I believe in. Even though this is a cluttered time for information, I think it is great we all have the ability to share our thoughts and ideas through social media. And in our country, the amazing thing is that we have the right to say what we want. We can’t take our rights for granted, and we have to use them. It is important to think carefully about what you share with your social media followers. In this current news environment, we all have worldwide platforms. What do you want to do with yours?
Everyday mindfulness
I believe it is more important to be interested than interesting. You can get interested in small ways, like visiting at least one news site a day. Or create a ratio you are comfortable with: for every ten websites you visit, try to make one of them a major news organization. As the double-edged saying goes, “May you live in interesting times.” The times are officially interesting, so I encourage everyone to get as interested and involved as they can.
How do you feel about the state of current events? What are your favourite news sources? Tweet me @NatashaNKPR or comment below!
xo Natasha