Do you even care, or are you ignorant about not learning? How not being aware of the world’s current climate can make privileged people gullible.Â
If you ask a classroom full of people aged 15 to 60 whether they keep up with current news, the answers vary. Some answers will be truthful and say yes or no, while others will lie and say yes to feel “special” about knowing the current climate.Â
Why lie if you don’t care?
NEW GEN
Many people who lie about knowing the news don’t want to appear stupid for not being educated about it, or don’t want to waste their breath explaining why. However, some people who claim to know the news are lying about where they get their information. Many major publications are behind a paywall, which can deter a huge demographic of people. Thus, a new form of news is “newsfluencers.” This form is a way to blend traditional reporting with social media. This style is a way to keep the viewers engaged with the post by posting short clips, 30 seconds to two minutes, of news updates.Â
One famous news influencer on TikTok is Marcus DiPaola, who posts live news updates about the nation and the world. His posting style is very direct to the audience. The camera is facing the viewer, and not many B-roll visuals.Â
WHY CARE?
“If you don’t stand for anything, you fall for everything,” is a quote my father has always told me from a young age. Even though this quote doesn’t mention the news, it is in the same vibe; if you don’t watch any trusted news, you fall for any information fed to you. Many news publications post many false pieces of information to the observers to get a quick click or to persuade the viewer to believe certain information.Â
Even if the chaos in the world doesn’t personally affect you, it doesn’t mean you should not be aware. Because what is going on right now will one day be history, and to understand which side you are on means taking the time out of your day to learn.Â
PERFORMATIVE OR DEATH
If you are silent about the news, you are “not knowledgeable or ignorant.” This is a common issue with big social media personas. If they don’t address their side of the issues or stay up to date, they are seen as an awful person. One influencer who was almost canceled and changed the idea of being aware is Brittany Broski. Broski always advocated knowing the world’s climate; she would speak negatively about people who didn’t. However, Broski wouldn’t speak about the war between Palestine and Israel. It got to the point where Broski posted a “close friends only” story in which she shared that it doesn’t affect her personally and that, as a comedian, she should express her thoughts and update people on the news. After this, influencers took greater initiative to inform their viewers about the news and share their opinions.Â