Many people neglect the news and are unaware of what is going on in the world around them. This is a large mistake however and a good understanding of current affairs is actually crucial for many reasons. Here we’ll look at just why it’s so important to follow the news and why you should look for a news blog, website or news channel to provide you with regular updates.
Firstly the news can sometimes affect you. You might not think that news is constantly about crises in other countries, or things that have happened to other people, but more likely the news reflects a policy or government decision that will be utilising your tax money and that will affect your economy. The government is designed to work for us and this is the true idea of a democracy, however it’s the press and the blogs and news channels that allow us to actually see what the government are doing and that allow for democracy to work. People fought and died for freedom of speech and the freedom of the press that comes with it, and so to turn your back on it is a serious mistake. When it comes to an election, the news through the last few years should be the main thing influencing your decision.
At the same time the news can often affect you directly. For example the recent news of the ash cloud covering the sky meant that many flights had to be cancelled or couldn’t go ahead. However only those who read a news blog or watched a news channel would have known not to go ahead and book any last minute flights. Even on a more basic level, the news often includes the weather, and this will affect whether we get wet when we head outside or remember to bring an umbrella.
The news is also very important for conversation. If something big has happened in the news then this is a sure fire way to spark up a conversation with someone where there might otherwise have been an awkward silence. At the same time in a group of people talking about the news you won’t want to be the only one who isn’t aware of what’s going on as this can make you feel very isolated and out of touch. At the same time you might lose respect from the other people who value the news and current affairs more.
Of course the news is also just interesting and while there will be a lot you’re not interested in, there will always be something that catches your attention and that is related to one of the fields you find interesting. If you like celebrities and gossip then this always finds its way on to the news, while meanwhile you’ll also likely find information about sports and cutting edge science.
If you want to stay up to date with the news but struggle to find the time, new media technologies are now allowing many new methods to get quick and specific news updates meaning there’s really no excuse left for not knowing what’s going on in the world.
