Today we live in a highly media-driven society. The interesting thing is that so much of the media that influences emotions and attitudes today is national or global news. With the explosive growth of media access in the past two decades, accelerated by the easy access to Smart Phones, the impact of major news on everyone’s lives has been enormous. Now every other person you meet will know the latest updates from Washington D.C.’s power centers, or updates on new cultural events in Manhattan. With just a quick tap on a phone, we have all the information we seemingly need. Or do we?
The Internet Explosion
The Internet first became an influence in people’s lives back in the early 90s, and it quickly made changes in how people communicated, though some people, and businesses, were slow to change. After a few years, the influence of the Internet was just impossible to ignore, and folks who refused to go online to get information, apply for jobs or pay bills soon learned that there was no way through these changes but forward.
Once Smart Phones became part of the information picture, there was just no turning back. Today most people carry a small computer in their pocket, and the access this gives people to all kinds of information is staggering. Still, however, given all our access to news and other forms of media, it’s easy to lose perspective.
People ultimately aren’t really emotionally geared to knowing about everything that’s happening in the world. We hear about tragic events happening overseas, but the tough things is we can’t do much about it. That’s why many therapists today advise people to take a break from the nonstop national news cycle and get some downtime.
The fact is what happens locally is what really impacts our lives. For people in the San Fernando Valley, what happens in the san fernando valley schools is hugely important, and will have a real impact on a family. What happens to a city’s downtown area will affect people, as will property taxes in your local area. All of this is why many local media outlets are now thriving, even as the Internet explodes with national news.
No doubt, national and global news still fascinates, but it’s what’s happening locally that really has an impact.
