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Date: 3/23/2020
Every so often, I am reminded how many people close to me are convinced that as a member of the press, I am part of some sort of cohesive global conspiracy to spread fear and panic.
Of course, even in the best of times, a large segment of the population admonishes and demonizes “the media” as a rabid group of agenda-driven liars who rely on fear to sell a product. And these are not the best of times.
Over the past several weeks as the coronavirus situation has come more into focus for people as the United States has begun to experience its impacts to our health, economy and daily lives firsthand, the complaints about the presentation of the situation on social media has been almost as hard to get avoid as the news itself.
From accusing organizations of inaccurately conveying the statistical information provided by federal and state health agencies to criticizing news outlets for feeding hysteria by displaying images of empty shelves and trunks full of toilet paper to (inaccurately) decrying the lack of “good news” coming out of the crisis, it’s clear where many want the blame to fall. The number of infectious disease experts on my various news feeds readily willing to rebut media reports on information from the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health is impressive. I had no idea I knew so many.
Do not be mistaken – we are in the midst of a true health crisis and the media has a duty to report on it. To be sure, I won’t agree with the manner in which every news organization nationwide is approaching this issue and I know for a fact some are not taking their responsibility as informers of the public as seriously or as preciously as they should. I am not going to claim there has never been a journalist who had a lapse of judgment while covering what is happening. But to be clear, the vast majority, including Reminder Publishing, have the interest of the public and ensuring they have an understanding of the realities of their situation. Putting it plainly, that means it can be pretty damn grim. Of course, there is also plenty of good being exhibited and we’re working hard to illustrate that too. What people do with the information they receive is their responsibility.
Social media has made us as a society hungrier and hungrier for continuous and instant information. In a situation like this, it is especially understandable. People have an inherent desire to understand what is happening to them and around them. But when people acquire knowledge, they must also be prepared to take ownership of the way they react and respond to it.
Many of the people who are complaining about the volume and manner of coronavirus coverage are the same people who haven’t put their phones down. They constantly scroll through their feeds simultaneously seeking information and balking at the facts they find and scolding those providing it to them.
Maybe, just maybe, the problem has a simple solution.
Maybe we just need to put the phones down, just for a little while.
Just as people have been irritated by the media, so I have been irritated by those constantly posting their irritations. Last Saturday, sitting on the couch on my phone on the verge of launching into a (probably profanity-filled) rant of my own on social media, I made a choice. I turned to my wife and said, “Let’s go for a hike.” We packed up our 2-year-old daughter and drove out the Peaked Mountain in Monson. No phones, no computers, no TV. It was refreshing. It was invigorating. For a brief time, we escaped. We felt better.
Now, I’m not saying we need to tune out what is happening in our world altogether. Understanding the situation and having a reasoned and measured response to it is going to be vitally important for all of us. However, I think it’s time for all of us to take some time to do what I call “social media distancing.”
It doesn’t take much. Just put away the devices, even for an hour. That’s it. It doesn’t much matter what you do next. Do what makes you happy. Go for a hike, a walk, a run. Take your dog in the backyard and throw a tennis ball. Play a video game. Knit. Read a book. Clean the garage like you’ve been talking about doing for ages. Do yoga. Take a nap. Try a new recipe. Make your significant other taste the new recipe first because, let’s face it, you’re not a great cook and you’re just not sure you’re that brave yourself. Whatever. Just take a step back and take a breath.
Trust me, you’ll be in a better state of mind and the information you need will still be there.