Politics used to be local, but technology has brought national politics – and national news – to the local level courtesy of 24/7 news coverage and reporting via smartphones, tablets, computers, and a multitude of TV news sources. Politics infuses nearly every aspect of our lives. In our hunger to be informed, we check our favored news apps constantly throughout the day.
It’s no wonder that the more news stories Americans read, whether political or other, the more jaded, pessimistic, and angry we become since most stories are negative. FB and other social media site posts concerning politics and crime bring out the worst in people. If you want to understand the level of discourse in America, read the comments section of any news story. You will invariably find comments that include the phrase “humans are disgusting,” or “I’m ashamed of the human race,” or “you’re a POS,” or “I hope you die.”
It’s unfortunate that we lump the entire human race into one category based on the negative news the media choose to report. Of the billions of actions occurring around the world right now, the ones that make the news are the ones that involve hate and harm, advance one political cause or one favored group over another, or otherwise seek to divide us by race, creed, and religion.
News that informs us of the good in humans, or allows us to monitor the performance of our elected officials, is welcome and necessary, but news that seeks to divide is not.
Sadly, I’m guilty of posting news that fits my view of politics and causes distress to my friends who may not agree with me politically.
Maybe I need to do like my dad: turn the news on at 6:00 pm, and turn it off at 6:30 pm. Thirty minutes is more than enough time to wish I was ten years old and oblivious to everything but the moment the street lights come on.
Writers Envy 