Information Overload

This week I moved back home from Sweden, and for me, this year has been a complete bubble. I turned my mind off to problems back in the UK and managed to have a full year which pretty much allowed me to work on myself. I’m not encouraging anyone to completely turn their minds off to the world but oh my god it is hard to keep up. This year was needed and wanted, and gave me time to reflect on myself. Our heads, phones, and newsfeeds are filled with feminist campaigns, sustainability campaigns, fitness, health, fashion, politics and all the other things which we “should” be aware of. I am by no means saying that any of these things should not be thought about. In fact, I think it is so important that we are as educated as possible on all these matters but I do think it is ok to say and admit that you can’t keep up with everything. It is literally impossible.

We are bombarded every day with a torrent of information, most of which is completely useless to our lives, or just not true. This week, I think we have all been shocked and let down by the media as the issues of Sudan were failed to be reported on. I heard endless stories of Brexit, taxes, pensions, and BORIS BLOODY JOHNSON. Yet, not once did I hear a news story on the raping and torturing of women, children and men all over Sudan. However, this week we also saw social media do exactly what I think it should be used for. MAKING SOME NOISE. Regardless of the failure of the media to report on Sudan, we took the problem into our own hands and filled instagram with posts raising awareness of the horrors which were occurring.

Now, I simply do not know enough to educate you all on the happenings of the world but what I do know is that the internet has an incredible amount of power. It has the ability to fill our heads with the most important world problems whilst also being able to numb our minds to meaningless lies. The internet is an incredible place as long as we remain aware and cautious of its powers. Personally, I am finding it hard to narrow down what is important and what to focus my attention on. I spend a lot of my time listening to friends having conversations and believing that I simply do not know enough, I do not know what I believe or what I think regarding all of the things I mentioned above.

We can’t as humans possibly be activists for everything and you don’t have to be. However, I do think it is important to take the time to narrow down your social media, reading and internet searches into what you think is important to you. Unfollow the accounts which fill your feed with nonsense and your head with anxiety. Follow accounts that make you knowledgeable, empowered, or just make you smile. Even if it is a cute dog account, do what is best for you. And, when you can, spread the knowledge, the empowerment, the joy. Simply hitting share gives others that break from their mind-numbing newsfeed. Social media can be the most resourceful tool to help, encourage, unite. Do what you can to help when you can.