You Are Here (For Now) by Adam J. Kurtz

Author:Adam J. Kurtz [Kurtz, Adam J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-10-19T00:00:00+00:00

Sometimes I get too caught up in my phone and all the terrible things happening in the world. I open the phone and yes, sure, I feel connected to my friends and the specific blend of opinions I’ve invited into my feed, but there is an overwhelming amount of news that is hard to digest and a pervasive, low-level feeling of panic and dread. I have felt this regularly for a few years and have taken some steps to mitigate, such as turning off all news media push notifications on my phone and occasionally muting the sources of information that I need a break from.

The reality is not that bad things have suddenly started happening with alarming frequency (although in some ways, the results of our actions as a whole, such as ignoring climate science, have absolutely brought us here). The truth is that humans have long been completely terrible to each other, corporations have put profits over people, and some of us have been turning a blind eye to the suffering of others. Whether this is a conversation we’re all having or not, these things are occurring. And now we’re seeing more of it.

Technology has made capturing and distributing information incredibly easy, and so we are witnessing, sometimes in real time, crimes against humanity. We are witnessing, sometimes as it happens, people dying, suffering, or causing harm to others. There is so much of it, and it’s all around us, and it can be overwhelming, and so at a certain point the impulse is to just log off. The impulse is to disconnect and shut down.

What’s most healthy for you right now and most healthy for all of us in the long term may not be the same thing. It’s my feeling that taking some time away from the endless news cycle is helpful and sometimes necessary, especially if you are in close proximity to the subject. Basically, if you’re feeling particularly overwhelmed, opt out. Take the time you need and once you feel safe again, come back in. For most of us, the endless cycle of “sadness, outrage, desire to take action, manageable action, keep moving” is unsustainable. The pent-up rage, tight shoulders, and clenched jaw help nobody and take years off your own life. There has to be a balance.

One thing to remember is that good people are out there. Good things are happening. While outrage tends to spread faster, good news exists too. In fact, it’s often not newsworthy at all, because by definition, the commonplace activity that is ever present around us isn’t news. There is overwhelmingly so much goodness in the everyday experience of being alive, so many positive interactions and occurrences in our communities, that it is simply not reported to the same degree. So we focus on the things that need changing, or the sensational headlines that blend fact with emotion for the sake of shock-entertainment, and forget that everyday people are doing everyday things.

Every single day, someone is saying something positive to someone else out of kindness or gratitude.

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