Quarantine made me not watch TV. On second thought, I haven’t watched it that much before, but you got the point. Disinformation and conspiracy theories have flooded not just the Internet, but traditional media as well. Of course, fake news is not a result of a global pandemic, but it pushed it over the edge.
Coronavirus spread to almost every country in the world and people have been forced to change their daily habits. We have frequently being told to practice social distancing to slow the spread of the virus or, as doctors would say, to flat the curve. I’ve decided to act responsibly and stay at home as much as possible. My University has been closed, my friends isolated themselves, and everything just stopped. In a situation like that, there is nothing easier than turning to television to fill the time, right? Well, it turned out not to be the best option, just because it is spreading something almost equally unpleasant as coronavirus - fake news.
Fake news isn’t just making people believe the false things, but it makes them overwhelmed and even depressed. The global pandemic is just a fertile ground for conspiracy theories, and even celebrities, such as the Djokovic family, contribute to the dissemination of fake news. There is also widely spread information about the 5G network, which may be the cause of the current health emergency. That story is especially accepted in anti-vaxxers groups. Some people even claimed that there is no virus. What a vicious circle!
As the colleague said in the previous blog post – this is not a “you” or “me” problem; it’s a “we” problem. Taking this into account, we need to consider what we can do individually to make the whole situation a bit better.
I’ve chosen to do (social) media detox; to turn off the TV, and not to buy the newspapers. My journalism professors disliked this, but man, I prefer playing with my cat and riding a bike, rather than be a sponge for the enormous number of conspiracies. We need to be aware that everyone can express their opinion on the Internet (or even TV show) without consequences, but also that the effect of disinformation is immediate.
The point is - you are in the driving seat of your life. The limitation of any kind is a challenge but seen properly, everything that happens could be a chance to move forward. You choose if your self-isolating time is wasted and unproductive, or fully alive. Instead of media-consuming, you could use this time to consider your activities you never bother to consider but just do. You could try to learn some new skills, or just being more conscious. Be emotional support to your family and friends. Find a way to support small businesses, or go, and volunteer in your local community.
At the very end, here is a quote from a book called "The Obstacle Is the Way" by Ryan Holiday - “As Marcus Aurelius put it nearly 2000 years ago: The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
Ivana Milosavljević
LDA CSS