2016 has been in general, a pretty crappy year so far when reviewing newspaper – website – headlines. Besides all the attacks on innocent people from Baghdad to Brussels, from Paris to Istanbul and then everything in the United States on top of that. And I’m probably forgetting several wars going on right now. In first world problems, we lost several popular culture icons (I guess that trend will continue for the forseeable future, seeing as most of the 60s, 70s and 80s stars are approaching old age now) and as the European Union, we lost a bit of ourselves as well. Even today, tragedy hit in Italy, where there was train crash that took 20 human lives. It’s gonna get worse before it gets better right? You gotta go there to come back, the Stereophonics would sing. I’ve never really listened to that album, but as album titles go, I’d call that a pretty good one.
Now, I don’t wanna say “ignore all tragedy” or make light of it in any way, but the reason we’re all hearing and seeing about this so intensely is because of the media and Internet. I’m not saying anything revolutionary here, but 100 years ago, news travelled less fast, and we couldn’t live-broadcast institutionalized racism on Facebook to everyone we know – and then some. 100 years ago, before Internet, tv and radio, our worlds were much smaller.
If I were to kill all technology in my life and zoom in to the impact of all this tragedy on my daily life: that impact is rather small. I had a friend in Brussels the day of the attacks there, so I’d have heard about that. And I would see the armed forces in Belgium when visiting that same friend. So there’s that. And by now I’ve met only a couple of refugees from Syria, so it’s not as if my entire world has been changed by that either. And when reading about the sh•tstorm that is the world right now and how angry people get, I see nothing of that in my little privileged world. Nothing, unless I actively go and look for it and reach out.
So this is why I don’t get all the anger going round, all the hatred. A lot of people seem to respond with fear and anger. But the refugees who came here haven’t destroyed our country, most of the problems are being caused by the people who are already living here. And those problems, are once again, the things the media are focusing on. Yes, I do get that things that are wrong in the world need a spotlight so that they get put right, hopefully. But when you are reporting for the cause, and when are you a sensationalist throwing gasoline on the fire and encouraging behaviour. Look at your life: is there when it comes down to your location, your place in society any reason to get properly upset about anything right now? So why are we letting media and Internet get us upset and act angry towards people who have done nothing wrong.
I’m blessed with friends who are incredibly kind, incredibly nice. When I celebrated my birthday last month, people were so kind to me, by simply telling me that they care, by showing up to my party, by giving extremely thoughtful gifts, by letting me know: we’re here for you. Even today, I received an EP I bought by singer/songwriter who wrote a nice little message in the sleeve. Little acts of kindness.
It’s been making me think that yes: kindness and calmness are probably the recipe for life right now, to make the world a little better. So I’ve been trying to be a bit kinder in everyday life. I don’t know if it’s working, but I try. Like I said: in my life there’s no real reason to be angry, so I’m trying not to be angry, despite all the crazy stuff happening all over the world right now. I refuse to believe that these are the end times.
And I don’t mean that I, you or we shouldn’t get upset about issues that we care about. Or shouldn’t be sad for the people in Italy, Iraq, France or the United States. We totally should. Or angry about the fact that this violence is happening every single day. I think we should also try to fix the world. And I do honestly believe that the only way we can do this, is by stepping up and doing our bit in making it better. With both the kindness I mentioned, as well as taking meaningful action to make change happen. If the whole Brexit-scenario and the gun control laws in the USA have taught us one thing, it’s that the people who shout hard are being heard. But unless we all turn up to decide, or in other ways use the tools that our democracy has given us, that’s the only way we really get a say. By staying silent (or only speaking in the media and nothing else), we don’t really do enough. We may sometimes feel better than the angry mob who votes against stuff, but unless we all counter that mob with votes in favor, that mob is still the smarter group. See also this bit by John Oliver on Last Week Tonight.
So yea, I’m not trying to preach here, but what it boils down to. You don’t have no opinion in this world. You have one. Even if you’re a bored teenager snapchatting the day away, you have an opinion. You can decide the future and you can stop things from happening and make other things come to pass. Approach people with kindness, and issues with activism. Even activism to keep things the way they are now. Or to make things a little better. Uninformed little me is probably wrong about some issues I do have an opinion about, but it’s also okay to change your mind.
So, on (social) media, that window in the big world that feels impossible to change, I’m gonna be kind. I’m also gonna to try to take a stand. Cos int the end I’m an optimist. And it might get worse. But it’ll definitely, eventually, get better.