I’ve tried giving social media a rest. I’ve not gone for a total switch off but have been trying to spend less time doom scrolling as it is not good for me. I came off Twitter some time ago as I found it too depressing, filled with bile and hatred. I would put my phone down in a rage and it would take me hours to calm back down. I am on BlueSky now. Though a more gentle environment even it can be too much at times. I haven’t used Facebook for years.
I have also limited the amount of time I spend catching up on the news. It’s all so depressing and the world feels like such a mess. Wars, starvation, corruption, abuse, violence and extremism. I feel hopeless as there is little if anything I can do about these things.
The papers are no better. They are filled with stories of how bad this country has become, how nothing works and how the powers of the state are working against your best interest. The NHS is broken beyond repair, we’re being taxed out of existence, there is an invasion of people on small boats and the police will arrest you for an errant post on social media though you will get away with murder.
Yet, my experience of life is completely different. I wake up in the morning and switch on the electricity. My gas and water flow. I go to the shops which are bursting with produce and pay using a robust banking system. My recent experience with the NHS has been exemplary during which I relied heavily on those who were born abroad. At no time did I feel like I was being invaded.
Perhaps I am lucky. Perhaps where I live is an island of safety and tranquility. Perhaps I am isolated from all the ills of the world.
It could be that it is all an exaggeration. Yes, the world is in a mess. Bad people are doing bad things yet we need to get some perspective.
Are things really as bad as they are made out to be? I don’t think so.
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 