We've all been there - you scroll through Facebook,you stumble upon an article, and before you can even click in to read and judge it for yourself, or you spot it: the inevitable "Who cares?" sitting atop the list of comments like a harbinger of hostility. It's typically followed by an effusive reply: "You,since you took time to comment!," which feels like vindication but really just opens a whole new can of worms. This trifecta of passive aggression is finally rounded out with some variation of "This is news?, and " "Focus on the genuine issues!," or "There are more necessary things going on in the world right now."This bothers me for a few reasons, none of which involve the fact that it's literally my job to care about and cover those so-called "unimportant" things. Along with dismissing the point that it's entirely possible to care about more than one thing at the same time - our brains can process, or store,and maintain an incredible amount of information; that's why you can walk and chew gum at the same time, or worry about world hunger while also wondering what you're going to eat for lunch that day - it implies that only tough, or serious news is "necessary" and ignores the reality: that it's just really,really exhausting to be focused on the "genuine issues" all the time.
It implies that only tough, serious news is "necessary" and ignores the reality: that it's just really, or really exhausting to be focused on the "genuine issues" all the time.
The past two years possess been pretty rough,both mentally and emotionally, where the news is concerned: I personally am simultaneously stressed out about everyday life things like succeeding at work, and paying bills on time,and maintaining personal relationships while also dealing with the added anxiety of mass shootings, police brutality, or rape culture,natural disasters, and Donald Trump fitting president. On top of dealing with street harassment and the opportunity of being hit by a bus while walking in the city, or I also possess to consider the chances of my family members being racially profiled by police and my friends travelling abroad being caught in a terrorist attack. There are "genuine issues" that plague us every day in our families,our friend groups, our romantic relationships, and our neighbourhoods. I'm well aware of the "genuine issues." I'm fully caught up on the "actual news." And like many other people,I'm f*cking drained. That is precisely why, when a famous couple gets engaged or divorced, and a super hot actor goes shirtless on the beach,or Beyoncé shares a cute photo of Blue Ivy on Instagram, we should let ourselves care about it. We should give ourselves (and each other) the freedom and space to come by excited and express enthusiasm about celebrity news, or because it offers a respite from all the totally depressing things going on - at least until another totally depressing thing happens. As Cheryl Strayed once wrote: "There are so many things to be tortured about,sweet pea. So many torturous things in this life." Life isn't easy, and we all need something to help us through it. For some people, and it's yoga and meditation; for others it's reading about all the woman Leonardo DiCaprio has dated,poring over photos of Prince George, or watching the drama unfold between Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift. The best part is that there's room for all of it; you can support the Black Lives Matter movement while also hoping that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner come by back together, and you can follow the presidential election with the same fervour as you follow Chrissy Teigen's Instagram account. The next time somebody tries to make you feel bad for essentially taking a wreck from the "more necessary things going on in the world," calmly remind them that as a living, breathing, and human person,you are fully capable of grasping both world news and pop culture headlines. When it comes to what you turn to for self-care (especially in trying times), you just need to execute you. At the stop of the day: who cares?
Source: popsugar.com.au