LIVING IN A DIGITAL WORLD
So many people I know spend vast amounts of time keeping up online with all the goings-on in the world. They have opinions on the politics of most countries, they are experts on how to end wars, and they're often quite intense in their responses to the latest news updates. They're instantly impacted by global happenings that they'd never have known about in years gone by until they read it in a newspaper a day or so later.They really like being informed about everything, but I sometimes wonder if it's good to be so instantly in touch with everything - and can you really trust everything you read online?
When I ask why they need to be so informed, and why they trust what they're reading, they assure me that it's important to be aware of it all and that their particular news feed has its finger on the pulse, and only provides the facts - no bias whatsoever, and they like being "in the know".
IS INSTANT ACCESS GOOD FOR US?
But, I wonder, do we need to begin and end our days with the latest blasts from politicians or 'experts'? Is it healthy to wake up and immediately grab our phones to see if we've missed any world shaking event? Why has it become so important to be in the loop with every news event worldwide? From what I can see, being immersed too deeply in things you have no influence over leads to a heightening in anxiety and a sense of the world going to hell in a handbasket.
I don't want to live like that. I don't want to be in the loop - I choose to be out of the loop, and don't even want to be looped into the loop. I figure if it's earth-shaking enough to impact my world then I'll hear about it eventually and respond in a more measured way. Often the big click-bait stories blow up and then disappear before I've seen them - and that's perfectly fine with me.
STEERING AWAY FROM ALGORITHMS AND DOOM SCROLLING
My friend Donna from Retirement Reflections wrote an excellent post a few weeks ago about digital wellness and choosing what we subscribe to, how much time we spend on our phones, and whether what we're allowing into our world is healthy for us. I think we need to be really intentional about what we feed into our brains - the algorithms aren't there to give us something for nothing, they're created to drive us to scroll more, to go down rabbit holes, to worry and to feel unsettled, or to envy what others have and to want it for ourselves.
You are only one person. There’s only so much you can do each day. Only so much news you can absorb and carry. A limit to how much of yourself you can pour outwards, into the world. Step back, slow down. Switch off, say no. Look after yourself.
Stacie Swift
No algorithm is designed to make us content with what we have or what we know. And doom scrolling never made anyone happier. I also don't understand why people seek out misery online and then share it on their social media so their 'friends' can be miserable too. Let's keep social media for sharing good stuff - not to create further upset or upheaval in people's lives.
CURATING A VILLAGE MENTALITY
When it comes to all the global doom and gloom, I've chosen to look at things a little differently; I like to have a general idea of what's happening out there in the world, but I don't want to immerse myself in it all day, every day. I ask myself if diving into a particular drama will make any difference to the outcome, and if the answer is "no" then I choose to step back from it and focus more on the things that I have some influence over. I call it practicing selective ignorance.
Our job is not to comprehend or control everything, but to learn which story we are in and which of the many things calling out in the world is calling to us. Our job is to be fully alive in the life we have.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Do you let instant access to world news impact your daily life? Do you find yourself doom scrolling or going down rabbit holes that impact your mental health? Perhaps it's time to cull some of those sources and become a villager rather than an online warrior...
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Great post and a great way to be reminded about 'getting away' from checking out others' lives on SM and out into the sunshine and nature. Denyse x
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