Anyone else quit watching the news sometime along the way in 2020? Just me?
I just got tired of all the angst and drama in our world. I know I have a responsibility to be informed. But, after race riots, covid deaths rising, election drama, and crime rates soaring it came to the point that I had to make a decision for my own well-being to turn off the news.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one. In 2021, the percentage drop of weeknight viewership of the evening news was in the teens. The cable news networks saw percentage drops in the mid-20’s to mid-30’s. A lot of us felt we had to shut it off.
No doubt, many of us are still in that mode. And, in case you are, there’s some news from 2023 you need to be aware of. Here it is: The U.S. Surgeon General has declared that we are in a loneliness epidemic. This declaration was made in May, 2023.
It seems obvious that during the covid crisis there was a lot of loneliness being felt. But, researchers say the crisis was well underway before that. The covid crisis simply amplified what was already taking hold.
The Surgeon General’s report identified “The Six Pillars to Advance Social Connection.” While I sincerely appreciate the Surgeon General’s initiative in identifying this crisis, forgive me for being a bit skeptical that public policy is going to fix our isolation and loneliness tendencies.
Statistically speaking, if you are reading this you are likely feeling lonely or have routine relationships with people that are feeling lonely. According to research there are some alarming changes:
- Household Family Social Engagement – Down 5 hours per month
- Companionship – Down 14 hours per month
- Social Engagement with friends – Down 20 hours per month
- Non-Household Family Engagement – Down 6.5 hours per month
- Social Engagement with Others – Down 10 hours per month
That’s a lot of disconnection in our society. What are we doing with our time? Well, we’re likely not watching the news! But, we are probably more engaged with digital media. This engagement is not satisfying our social deficiencies. It’s medicating, or numbing our minds to try not to feel these deficiencies.
This is is an absolute crisis. Technology and technology researchers are investing billions of dollars to consume our attentions with our screens. They’re attempting to grab hold of our focus and sell us products for the sake of making billions more than they’re investing in research. You cannot overcome their efforts without being incredibly intentional.
Are you willing to get swallowed up by the digital tidal wave? Or, are you willing to be intentional about breaking free? Whether you mean to or not, you’re making a choice. If you’re not choosing to break free you are absolutely being swallowed up by it.
Action Step: At the end of the day, take a moment to jot down the amount of time you believe you’ve engaged with digital social spaces (FB, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, X, or any other social space). The next day, actually track the amount of time you’ve spent using digital social media spaces. See if your assumptions and your reality align. Are there any changes you’d like to make to resist the digital tidal wave and re-engage in authentic community?