Imaan Khan, Year 12
In the past week, the number of shocking news headlines have been tremendously high: with the Oregon college shooting being the 994th mass gun attack in the US over a three year period; two separate university shootings in Texas and Arizona, just hours apart; the continuation of Israeli-Palestinian violence; and the Ankara explosions which left almost 100 dead.
But does this really affect us? Living here in Geneva can lure us into a sense of safety and detachment from the chaos that is taking place in other countries. However, I would answer: yes, these events do greatly affect us and the world we live in, even though we students are not experiencing these events directly. On these grounds, we should do our best to stay informed about current affairs.
So, why is it important to keep up with the news and how do we go about it?
When asked whether they thought keeping up with the news was important, one year 12 student said: “I do think it’s important but I never have any time. I should though.” It is understandable that a lot of students our age go through times during which they get fed up with reading the news as almost all of the headlines relay disasters that are distressing and painful. Living here in Switzerland also makes it easy for us to shut ourselves out and not pay attention to the rest of the world.
Despite all this, it is important to inform yourself about current affairs every now and then. Everything that is going on in the world at this very moment is shaping our futures as well as the futures of the next generation. If we want to be able to function in society now as well as in the future, when we are living as independent individuals in what adults tend to call “the real world”, we have to understand what has shaped society into what it is today. The same year 12 student stated that “It’s important to know, not just about your community, but about the world as a whole because, in the end, what happens elsewhere could end up affecting you.” A teacher in the secondary school also answered that “It is crucial to keep ourselves informed about current global affairs because, otherwise, we will become ignorant and apathetic towards our world and the people living in it.”
Getting information on current global affairs is significantly easier compared to how it was in the past with a wide variety of resources ranging from books to websites. However, not all of the information available to us is reliable or accurate. It can be argued that, in the today’s world, the majority of our news franchises are guilty of subliminal messaging and biased opinions. So, how do we determine which sources to trust?
If you are skeptical and believe that the news has a subconscious influence on your thoughts, search for new or alternative information outlets instead of avoiding the news altogether. Whether it is a youtube channel, website, or TV channel, if you think that form of media suits you and is not biased then stick with it!
Another way to inform yourself more accurately is to cross-asses sources. For example, if you want to find out more about the recent explosions in Ankara, Turkey, you can read and analyze more that one article. You may be surprised to find how much information differs from source to source.
If you still need some encouragement on staying informed, make it a topic of discussion with your friends. It can be interesting to hear other people’s opinions on certain subjects and how they differ. Don’t be afraid to get into a mini-debate about events that are being talked about on the news. Just make sure you remain open-minded and respect the opinions of your friends. “I think keeping up with the news is essential, especially for students like us, because it helps us understand the world and helps us shape our opinions and the opinions of others,” another Year 12 student stated.
Personally, I think it is extremely important to keep up with the news, not only because it is a topic that interests me, but also because I want to be able to improve my understanding of the world we live in as well as the billions of other people that we share it with.
