By Anthony Garcia
September 18, 2013
“Did you see Miley Cyrus at the VMAs?”
“Mayweather versus Alvarez? Obviously, Floyd is going to dominate!”
“OMG, ‘Breaking Bad’ was so good!”
Quick question: what do these three have in common with, actual news?
Absolutely nothing.
These are the kinds of statuses and so-called “important notifications” we see on a daily basis on Facebook, the unofficial news center for young adults. Wild celebrity antics, sporting events and television take precedent over things that directly affect our daily lives.
Scrolling through my newsfeed, I could count on one hand the mentions of the latest news on Syria, the hostage situation in Rogers Park on Friday or California’s third largest wildfire in history. I would need hundreds of fingers and toes to count how many Facebook updates there were about how scary “Insidious 2” was or how Drake’s “We’re Going Home” is the greatest thing since “Versace.”
Now, I’m not going to try to put myself on a pedestal above all others. I’m just as obsessed with my movies, music, celebrities and sports as much as the next Dominican student.
It’s a bit disturbing to know that if I posted an eloquent, well-researched status on Facebook about why Russia is wrong for blocking any kind of UN-backed military operation, I would only have two “likes” and one comment asking, “What’s going on with Syria?”
It doesn’t take much to be informed on a certain topic or subject that is in the latest news and is clearly more important than the latest television series finale or if the Bears beat the Vikings.
A quick click on a hyperlink on MSN.com.
A fast switch of the channel on your television.
An easy “follow” on Twitter of an actual news organization.
That’s all it takes to be informed and up-to-date with important, relevant news we all should be digesting on a daily basis.
Don’t stop watching movies, cheering hard for the Alabama Crimson Tide and continuing to bash Miley Cyrus. It’s true that we all need entertainment and fun in our lives to escape the craziness of reality. But, there’s always room to watch your local news channel and be educated, not just entertained.