A growing number of individuals are unaware of their government’s whereabouts, oblivious to the problems within their country and do not know the first thing about foreign affairs. Believe it or not, I am not referring to an authoritarian regime. A large number of young Americans are refusing to read the news, and it comes at a cost.
The world will not stop just because you made the decision to stop reading about it. Maybe you have made it to this point completely unaware that the crisis in Venezuela affects you or that Brexit means you could have gotten your Burberry coat for much cheaper, and maybe that doesn’t bother you. Avoiding the news is simple for those who live comfortably and believe the world does not interfere with their choice to be a hermit, but that does not mean that it's right.
Having access to the news and not reading it is akin to admitting you have no guilt in enjoying the benefits of a privilege denied to so many Americans. Your blissful ignorance comes at a cost to your fellow citizens who are foreign-born, Muslim, African-American, gay, low-income and so on. Many of these individuals feel that they have no choice but to read the news as it often will directly impact them.
People need to know that there is a problem to feel compelled to solve it in the first place. I have lost count of the number of people in Columbia who have asked me to donate money to Hurricane Harvey relief, but it has been far too many to assume that all of them have a personal connection to Houston. The news, photographs and video coverage have mobilized an amazing number people to send aid to strangers over one thousand miles away. Shouldn’t the same support extend to underprivileged groups in this country and those affected by conflicts overseas?
If the perceived negativity of the news is a turnoff for you, then recognize your frustration and do something about it. The disgusting nature of events like Charlottesville can be stopped if more people step in and voice support. To cast it off as someone else's problem is to let the cycle of hate continue as it has for centuries.
A college education is not enough to consider yourself an informed individual. Learning is not learning if it cannot be applied to the real world. Stay informed, and if something bothers you, find a way to help make it better.