In high school, it was common practice for a class assignment to include a write up of something that happened in the world that week. You would moan and groan because what could possibly be worse than having to read through a drawn out, intellectual article about some atrocity or infraction against humanity. But, you would do it. You would read the article, half-heartedly throw together a summary and quite possibly inject your own opinions on the topic before saving it, printing it and shutting it away forever.
In college, we don’t have the luxury of being assigned to read the news. Luxury, you say? Yes, a luxury. Be introspective for a moment and think about how often it is you are caught up with world news. I’m not talking about those stories that get blasted on social media in a matter of minutes; I’m talking about daily occurrences that are documented and deemed important enough to be broadcast on some forum. Because while you were slightly more in the know in high school due to the news being a forced grade, you may not be so fortunate now.
I, too, haven’t paid much attention to the news unless it’s a certain sensationalized story that gets tossed around for days on end, bouncing from network to network. I’ve been more self-aware as of late and have asked myself, how in the know am I really? Growing up, both my parents watched the news and read the paper every day. My father, having worked for the government, was always on top of current events and discussed them with my mom at the dinner table. From them, I knew what was going on. In high school I got my news from a mix of their overheard conversations, in addition to the classes that required me to know about news.
But then I got to college.
Now, I have never been one to read the news every day. Not in any capacity, not at any time. I’m the type of person who enjoys spending her limited free time reading and watching things that suit her interests. However, the more I’ve thought about it, I’m not truly aware of my surroundings. I can blame it on the lack of a newspaper subscription here; I could say it’s because of the fact that I don’t watch TV much anymore; I could even say it’s because no one really discusses these topics– at least not in my circle of friends. The fact of the matter is that I’m bothered that I don’t know what’s happening in the world because I’m content with my own JMU bubble. Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes.
This isn’t meant to condemn anyone because in truth, some people just don’t really care to know about what’s happening outside of their own field of view. While that may work for them, it doesn’t for me. Knowing about things greater than you helps not only your personal growth but it also challenges the status quo. Achieving greater awareness of an issue opens the door for being socially and civilly active. Being a backseat driver is much like being in the backseat of life: you can tell the driver what to do and where to go, but if you were the driver (read: someone who is aware of the stories floating through the news sphere), you could just do it yourself much faster, more efficiently and with greater understanding of why decisions are made in the first place.
Since technology is such an integral part of my life, and the lives of many others, what better way to get my news than in quick bites I can consume in fleeting moments of free time. Apps are really great for immediate access to news stories and databases that can highlight specific topics of interest such as politics, technology, entertainment, money, sports and more. Popular websites like BuzzFeed deliver news in ways that appeal to the younger generations. It truly is about finding your niche and what news source you find credible and enjoyable.
Being a contributing member of society comes with some responsibilities. I firmly believe being an active member of the global community, through knowledge of world events, is a way for us as college students to grow in ways our classes can’t always provide.