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COVID_19 has turned the whole world upside down. Whilst it seems insane that lock downs have to be enforced by police, some people are seriously questioning whether COVID_19 is as scary as the science has proven it to be. At first this may seem careless and ignorant, but when I look at the bigger picture, it is no wonder people are sceptical of the truth.

Scepticism of our politicians and our media

As the Trumps of the world shout about ‘fake news’, journalists continue to face pressure from executives to favour stories that get clicks and views. This obvious commercialisation of information has made many feel that finding ‘the truth’ is all too difficult.

There is also a widespread consensus that politicians are all liars. This stems from the fact that: political leaders have an inherent inability to directly answer straightforward questions, most pre-election promises are broken without any consequence, there is an obvious mishandling of our natural, fundamental resources, like water, and political information is often complex and difficult to understand.

This lack of trust in the system means that even the most outlandish conspiracy theories we once laughed at, begin to look believable. When this lack of trust is coupled with the fact that we are constantly  targeted online with ads that clearly have political agendas, discrediting the “other” rather than promoting positive action, it is no wonder many are switching off.

This is not the time to switch off

Too many of the people I know and love refuse to read or watch the news anymore. They’re not sure who or what to believe. They dont have the time or energy to research the facts behind stories, or struggle with the negative impact that the truth can have on their mental health, when they do in fact discover what’s really going on.

But this is no time to switch off. In fact, it’s the perfect time to switch on.

This is a completely bizarre time we live in, but just because we are isolated physically, does not mean we are isolated socially. Technology has gifted us with the ability to be together, regardless of time and space. And, if anything, we may have more free time now than we have ever had before.

If our government is unable to communicate the messages clearly that we all need to know, if there is an undeniable lack of trust in the system as it stands, and if people are refusing to watch the news, we need to take control of the narrative.

Let’s educate one another on important issues

The social platforms we have always used to promote “our best lives” are the channels we should be using to educate one another. Not just on how to cut your own hair in isolation, but on important issues in economics, politics, finance and science. Topics that are to many, dull and far removed.

My vision is for social media to become an active network of open education on real issues. A place where we share our intelligence, explaining complex concepts that we know and understand, in our own unique way.

Everyone thinks differently, everyone learns differently, and unfortunately essential information is often only given in one format; long pages of text full of complicated jargon, which most likely make you want to fall asleep.

Imagine if we all used this time in isolation to educate each other.

Imagine having a lightbulb moment by simply watching a friend’s story, and all of a sudden realising the importance of a policy you never even knew affected you before.  Thinking “why has no one has ever told me this?”

We should all be educating each other on things we know, and learning from others about things we do not.

#EducationIsolation

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