I don’t often write these sort of posts but this is something I see happening in increasing numbers and I want to address it. In news outlets, social media and even in everyones personal life, we are in a toxic cycle of rewarding bad and harmful behaviour. We reward people who try to one up each other with the most idiotic stunts, people who treat us like shit, and people who say the most scandalous things. We reward them with attention, which humans always crave for, financial gains and personal favours.

Make a “funny” video of you acting like the most obnoxious bitch or eat washing detergent, and we’ll give you fame and sponsorships. Take my money. Be a Prince Charming for fifteen minutes, then ghost me for two weeks, come back as Prince Charming for ten minutes. Let me open my legs. Rinse and repeat.

“Journalism is dead”
“News are shit”
“Why is this news!?”
“That person is an idiot, why is she getting air time?”

I’m sure most of us hear this, and probably say things like that on a regular basis. I certainly do. I think I don’t just speak for myself when I say that I do feel like journalisms is dead and what ever is broadcasted widely, is absolute bullshit. If you want to find good articles and investigative journalism that is not corrupted by a big corporation, you have to do a lot of digging and be very critical, essentially, use your own brain.

What people often fail to realise is that while it’s easy to lay blame on the news outlets that fill our eye and ears with this bullshit, we forget to look beyond that and ask why is it happening. The answer is quite simple in my opinion; it’s because of us, the consumer. Who ever clicks the article, opens the picture, buys the trashy newspaper, watches scripted “reality” tv, and shares the memes. YOU are the reason why there is more and more of this bullshit widely available on every media outlet.

There is a huge machine behind all of this that is paying close attention to every metric possible to see what makes the sale. Every click, every view, every opened link, every share, it’s all calculated and counted together, and brought to the people who make the decisions. And by their metrics, it sure looks like you are really into cat videos, memes, leftist propaganda and watching the Kardashians. Is this what you really want?

Remember, all publicity is good publicity. It doesn’t matter that you share an article and write “Omg I do not understand why anyone agrees with this persons opinions”, because you already clicked it open and shared it. That is two points for who ever published it. Then your friend opens the link too, and maybe shares it to another friend. Two more points. Think about that, you are on the loosing side.

Be the change

A cliche or a classic, but if you want to see a change in this world, you have to start by being the change. Don’t lay blame on others, don’t try to change the society as a whole, it’s impossible really. You change yourself, your behaviour and your life, it really is the only thing you can realistically do.

I’m constantly fighting against this toxic behaviour in my own life and trying to make sure I don’t do anything to reward such bad actions that rot our society even more. I don’t read sensation driven news (so basically all news), I don’t watch reality tv, I don’t follow social media stars that have their 15 minutes of fame because of something stupid they did, and I don’t welcome someone into my life with open arms if they are only coming to take something without giving anything back.

I specifically find information about the subjects I’m interested in, I look at art that excites me, I watch the shows that entertain me, I interact with people that have a positive effect on me. By no means am I perfect, but every day there are thousands of decisions to make and at least being conscious about the actions I take, I am mostly making decisions that better my life.

The end is near

I think we are soon reaching a tipping point, we have gone too far with the liberal, gender neutral, colour blind, world citizen, meme-loving and sensation news driven environment that a change is coming. At some point, the scales are gonna tip drastically to a different direction, and I can’t wait for it. It is not going to be pretty and it’s not going to be peaceful.

By writing this, I hope to make you think your everyday actions and what you give attention to. What is it that makes your heart race in a good way, and what makes your blood boil, and which one are you channeling your attention towards the most.