No News… What Do We Do?

News outlets are no longer allowed on Facebook. It looks like it might be going that way soon on a lot of other social media platforms as well. A lot of people are upset, and I can understand why the news outlets themselves are upset. After all, the reason news outlets went on social media in the first place was to reach more people for less money because nobody watches TV anymore. Most people don’t want to go through the trouble of re-routing to a different app or multiple different apps just to try and get a distorted sense of what is going on in the world. 

But let’s be completely honest; whoever actually cared about the news was already on each news outlet’s individual apps during or before they relied on social media to get a tiny synopsis and picture or video to replace their television station. And anyone who sees the news on their social media platforms with that as their sole source don’t actually care. They only mention it to friends in passing or think about it simply because it’s right there. If it wasn’t in our faces, would people actually care? Probably not.

Now, here comes the real question: is it really such a bad thing? Especially when most news outlets are told by higher-ups what to shove in our faces instead of anything people would actually care about, more information is not what we need. How can we ever get to the information we need and want if we get exhausted from scrolling and passively absorbing the same fluff pieces rebranded? Would our lives really be worse without the news? I feel like a lot of people would prefer to spend their current amount of time “reading the news” (scrolling mindlessly on social media) on something else that is better for their happiness. If you really do like reading the news, go right ahead, but if you’re someone who only sees the news in passing on your Instagram or Facebook feed, why go through the extra effort to obtain information you were never interested in before? 

So, instead of telling you how to get the news, or the best news outlet, or which people to follow to still get your dose of fluff, I am going to share what we could try replacing those with that will produce our own personal feel-good fluff. 

• Go outside. Yes, it is oversaid, but it is fun, relaxing, and it allows you to get rid of your energy. I have found that after too many days of not physically exerting myself, I get tired of not being tired. After a long stretch of relaxation, I get restless from all the resting. Especially living in town with a tiny yard, it can be difficult to find something to do just to get moving. It can be refreshing to use all your energy and be absolutely spent after a day of fun or work, then to fall into your bed and immediately sleep peacefully after days of tossing and turning. 
• Talk to a person. Face to face. Could be your parent or sibling, or auntie, cousin, or a stranger. Even a coworker. If you have to walk down to a coffee shop or park to do that, then that’s even better! 
• Read a paper book. Fiction, for fun, with as many or as few cliches and cringe moments as you like. Re-read something you’ve read a million times (City of Bones is my go-to), go to your library and pick up something you haven’t heard of, or pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read for three years but haven’t because it’s ridiculously thick for something that is supposed to fit in your pocket. 
• Everyone has pencil crayons, markers, pens, and a random coloring book that you can’t remember the origin of. Color it. Go wild. Or draw something of your own,  even if the only thing you can draw is a duck.
• Play a video game. Remember, this isn’t about forsaking all technology, it’s just using your time for joy instead of numbing your mind. If your thumbs still have the urge to scroll, why not grab a PS4 controller and race your brother or sister in a Mario game from hell. 
• Pet your dog. Lay with them, scratch their cute little forehead, throw their favorite toy, take them outside. Play tug-of-war with your cat if you want. Make weird faces at your lizard through the glass. 
• Do your own thing. If you like dancing, have a dance party with yourself and your pet. If you like singing, go sing in the shower, kitchen, or bedroom. Clean out your closet; if by “clean” you also mean “try on everything and walk in front of the mirror ten times”. No judgment. 
• Bake or cook something. Food is good. Make food and feed yourself, your mom, your neighbor, even if you’ve never cooked anything in your life. Or, if it is too hot to cook, make a slushie or homemade ice cream. 

There are so many things we could do with this new “problem” that is no news. Have fun, work, do anything you want. Just stop worrying about things out of your control. Until next time, keep thinking outside the box, and keep reading in between!