“It’s not that deep” has been a phrase I have constantly seen across social media for years.
Typically, it has been used to diminish the impact and complexity of the experiences people share online, and in a way, it has contributed to this rising shift of complacency. We now live in a culture of apathy, where not caring is considered the norm for the sake of individualism.
We have become conditioned to only look at events and experiences at face value, where indifference is encouraged rather than allowing people to unpack and find deeper meanings in the world around us. This apathetic condition reminds me of the anti-intellectual movement being perpetuated all across the country, such as how the United States Department of Education stripped professions like nursing and teaching from their “professional degree” status.
However, every day we are exposed to different conversations, events, and topics that stem from our way of living, and the level of severity, attention, and discussions will differ. On social media, you can scroll past posts showcasing the attacks the current presidential administration is carrying out against vulnerable communities, or you may come across think pieces arguing, “how did we go from this to this” regarding women’s attire.
As college students, we are taught to look beyond the materials we learn and find deeper meanings, an essential tool that allows us to contextualize and analyze what goes on in the world around us. The second we stop, we lose vital skills like critical thinking and analysis.
Nevertheless, we live in tumultuous times where it feels like every day we are bombarded with bad news, and as a result, we’ll prioritize escapism and try to “block out the noise.” In these overwhelming times, it’s also important to prioritize our mental health and well-being and avoid complacency.
“Collective action problems,” which is commonly known as “free riding,” is a social dilemma often taught in international relations classes. It argues that self-serving individuals hurt other members of a group; rather than working together to achieve a common goal, they act out of self-interest and take away from mutual benefits. We see this type of problem occur in our daily lives too, where we rely on others to do that deep thinking, to take on the burden of analyzing and looking beyond into the complexities of what goes on around us.
Still, it is so important that we adopt and develop this skill of deep thinking, of analysis, and critical thinking. Because without them, we make ourselves susceptible to control and indifference when, now more than ever, what we need to do is care.
Politics has been relegated to Congress, the presidency, and the economy, but this concept is ingrained in every aspect of our lives. Everything IS political, whether it’s the latest fashion trend, a TikTok meme, or a new song. There are political and socioeconomic implications in so many aspects of our daily lives, and we must go beyond and dig deeper into them. We must not simply be an echo chamber of everyone else’s thoughts, but also be able to create our own.
I won’t lie, every day it feels like there’s something wrong going on, and it’s important to find a balance between preserving our mental health while still knowing that it is that deep. We should be able to care for ourselves and care for the people and world around us, too.
So go out there and care!
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