Awareness is everything. It keeps us on track, ensures we know when our exams are, gets us to class on time and prevents us from getting hit by cars when we cross the street. Most everyone would say that they are aware of their surroundings, but global awareness is a concept many take for granted.
Global awareness is important now more than ever. The recent events in Ukraine have left many global actors in a state of uncertainty about the future of international politics. The conflict has placed the United States and Russia back into their usual corners of the ring. The situation is so tense, many other global actors have remained silent.
But do not stay deaf to the situation. We do not know where this conflict will lead, but do not wait to inform yourself until the climax.
It's easy to stay ignorant in today's day and age. Technology and mass media have made it easier than ever to remain in our own bubbles of information. Technology has placed all the information of the world at our fingertips, but we use it to take selfies instead. Does this show that our generation is taking everything for granted? The world could burn tomorrow, and there would be some jackass out there who uploads a selfie next to the flames #endoftheworldasweknowit.
And we're not feeling fine about this. Our generation needs to utilize technology and social media to communicate about current events in a way that is meaningful. The kind of activism we see on social media today can accurately be labeled as "slacktivism." Posting political memes, links, articles and blogs is not activism. Organizing in-person events is the only way to make change happen.
The Egyptian protesters in 2011 successfully utilized Facebook as a means of organizing protests in person. Had the Egyptians posted videos of themselves flipping through cue cards about how sad they were about being oppressed, the revolution would have gone nowhere.
Our abuse of technology is leading us nowhere. It is not inherently bad to want to keep in touch with your friends with social media, but there are small things we can all do to stay informed.
Try having two Twitter accounts, one for friends and one for news. Then upload your news Twitter account to your phone to get live updates of the news throughout the day instead of updates of where your friends are eating.
Part of being a college student is being exposed to new ideas and concepts. Staying informed will prevent you from falling for the people who seek to abuse you. It helps to develop healthy skepticism, which is important today, in a time when any person can share with you. Arming yourself with knowledge is one of the best ways to protect yourself, be it from scam artists, foreign aggressors or our government.
We stand for news. We advocate for staying involved with what's going on in the world around you. It's the difference between being able to make informed decisions and living in darkness. Being civically engaged is the only way to make sense of the world.
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