I’ve written a lot about my news diet, and the steps I take to stay focused and away from distractions. Especially when those distractions are for things beyond my control and just make me sad or depressed.
This past week my wife, Robin, brought up some news item that was making her upset. She had avoided reading about it, but the headline and photos were all over her friends feeds as everyone was sharing the outrage on Facebook.
This particular news was a couple of days old by the time it was being told to me. I realized a couple of things.
1) My life was no worse-off for not being told this news earlier.
2) I realized I don’t need to be moved by outrage to do good things. I am “Post-Outrage”.
My days are spent trying to make the world a better place. More civility, more engagement, more connection.
A case doesn’t need to be made to me any longer that we need these things.
I spend my reading time looking at solutions. People making a difference in their own way. Innovators.
Reading the latest outrage article takes me away from those solutions, and in term dampens my own mindset.
Same goes with environmental news. I think everyone, and I mean everyone, recognizes the huge problem and challenges we are facing. It doesn’t serve me any longer to look at photos or articles of the problem. I want to support people contributing solutions.
Outrage culture is a thing. Social networks have learned that the more outrage the more page views and engagement they get for their respective systems. Outrage literally generates money for them. But it makes us all upset and contributes to an overwhelmed mindset where people might feel hopeless.
The sooner we can shift into a post-outrage world, the sooner we get behind and share the success stories, the policies, the innovation, the better it will be for everyone.
Until that day, I’ll be here making the change that I can do.
