I try my best to inspire the teens and, in return, they keep me motivated. A good example of mutualism, isn’t it? Smile intended....
SOCIAL MEDIA
It’s my pleasure to be surrounded by teens and young adults every evening as I run my own tuition centre. By the grace of Allah, it is famous for making difficult subjects easy, especially maths and physics. I try my best to inspire the teens and, in return, they keep me motivated. A good example of mutualism, isn’t it? Smile intended.
What has been bothering me along the way is the fact that students are too occupied with either their academic stuff or their gadgets. They seldom lift their heads to look around and notice what is happening in the world they are a part of. They are unaware of the developments on national as well as international fronts.
Before starting my lecture, I like to have a small talk just to know my students’ moods, and lighten the air in the classroom. Since my subjects are not considered easy in terms of getting the point across, I have to make them understandable and student-friendly.
Well, the other day, as usual, I asked them about the highlights of the day. They moved their heads from left to right quite conveniently while I still remember how excited I was that day about watching the once-in-a-lifetime event of the coronation of King Charles III live on the BBC website.
Quite recently, I felt sad while trying to be optimistic about the missing Titan submersible. The grand search operation was going on in the hope of spotting and rescuing the five stranded people alive. To my shock, my students were blank about the incident. I managed to keep them updated on the issue in the days to come. Unfortunately, the whole episode came to a heart-wrenching end. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families.
The only news I remember they were already updated about was the news of the political chaos when a certain political leader was arrested, and that, too, because of the unrest created by his supporters.
You might be thinking that young adults under discussion probably don’t use social media, but that is not the case. Their cells are always fully charged and on the first opportunity they have, they check their cells for what’s new on social media. The problem is they use social media only to entertain themselves or to check what their peers are up to.
I know full well that we can’t make the youth read traditional newspapers, print versions of which are already witnessing a sharp decline in their circulation. The reasons include the increasing cost of printing paper and declining demand for print versions.
Here goes the list...
Social media accounts of news organisations
This is the top most solution I always suggest. Whatever social media apps you use, be it Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc., make it a point to follow the verified accounts of news outlets. They keep sharing regular news along with breaking news. You have the bonus benefit of giving your opinion in the comment section right away.
Online news websites
Not every newspaper comes in print form. There are enough of them that are in the form of digital platforms. You can bookmark them and visit them once or twice a day, or subscribe to their newsletters to have a look at highlights every night before going to bed. You can also subscribe to the newsletter of a specific journalist that covers the topic of your interest.
News aggregator apps
There are apps such as Apple News, Flipboard, Feedly and Qoshe that collect news articles from various sources from across the world in diverse languages, and allow the user to customise it according to their preferences. Qoshe is my favourite.
News apps with push notifications
If you like to consume bit by bit instead of gulping everything down, certain apps send push notifications whenever there is breaking news or an important development.
News apps for mobile phones
Install any news app of reliable newspapers like The News International, Dawn, Jang, etc. and stay updated on the go.
Listen to podcasts
Consider listening to podcasts or audio news during a commute or daily activities if you are too busy to spare special time for news consumption.
Watch news programmes
If you prefer watching over reading and listening, there are multiple choices available to you. Some suggestions are watching BBC, VOA, CNN, DW, Fox News, Geo, Dawn, etc.
Long-form articles
When you notice that you have developed enough interest in current affairs, you will probably like reading long-form articles instead of taking quick bites. Long-form writings give you in-depth insight into important issues. You can find them in op-ed pages of daily newspapers; under the “opinion” tag on news websites; or in magazines of national and international repute.
Online discussion platforms
It is great to be a part of a discussion forum to discover diverse opinions and different viewpoints on a topic under consideration. It promotes inclusivity and trains you to tolerate opposite points of view and respect other people’s perspectives.
Say no to biased sources
Last but not least, remember that consuming information plays a vital role in shaping your opinion. Your output can not be independent of your input. It is important to be critical and evaluate the sources to keep the biased ones at bay. Fact-check information if you can before accepting info you come across as genuine. You gain this discerning skill over time and become capable of detecting the inclinations of a source to certain groups or agendas.
I hope all Us readers out there find this article beneficial and pick at least one way from the above-mentioned ones that suit their routine and preferences best. They will start staying updated from now on. After all, they are the ones who will be sitting behind the steering wheel of this world in the near future.
