The dilemma - to avoid the news because you can't stand to hear it anymore, believing there's little you can change, OR to speak out, or write out, your truth ...
Since my partner started listening to the news on the various news apps on his iPad while we do our morning stretches, I’ve felt a little more involved in the geopolitical interplays between Russia, Ukraine and the US, a little more knowledgeable about the large sums of money people are losing to scams, and a little less ignorant about import tariffs.
However, I cannot say I feel compelled to say anything about these events given how much knowledge I assume those who are writing and talking about them have – call it a bit of imposter syndrome, perhaps.
I’m also not one to go too deeply down the rabbit hole of learning about a particular conflict thousands of miles away to then face the reality that those politicians will make their decisions whether or not I form an educated opinion and share it with the digital world. In this case, let’s say this world is actually five people.
I like to focus my writing on what I can observe directly, the small events that unfold around me. Call it intentional blinding and ignorance, perhaps, but I feel that centering myself in this world is already hard enough. Imagine if I were trying to fight such battles!
I will continue to listen to the news, in moderation, and know enough to feel informed, but you’re unlikely to read a piece with my name attached to it that depicts my indignation at the state of affairs of the world.
Clara Andrade
Social media and most other digital platforms are driven by algorithms that are designed to serve up what we find interesting.
For example, I game my Spotify app by only asking it for Jazz. It’s great, because I get a lot of Jazz served up as a result, but recently I searched for a new kitchen sink on Google and my Instagram immediately filled up with kitchen sinks!
This will also happen if you use social media for news. If the algorithm detects a conspiracy theory has grabbed your attention, it will serve up similar conspiracies.
To avoid this, I pay for a subscription to The Economist, which has high quality journalism and looks at world events through an economic lens.
I prefer this approach as I believe the adage that ‘money is the root of all evil’.
Robert Carrick
Copyright: text Clara Andrade & Robert Carrick; photos Wix.
Posts on this Sydney School of Arts & Humanities blog (www.ssoa.com.au) are published to showcase the work of emerging writers who meet weekly to workshop their short stories, memoir or novels.
These posts comprise some of the responses written in just 10 minutes as a warm up to the meetings.
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