If I told you that I have read or watched news from a variety of sources so far, it would be a big lie. Yes, I haven’t. My ignorance of the current situations has developed from my dislike of crimes, violence and the dark side of human-beings. The cruelty commonly displayed on the cover of the newspapers never failed to depress and dissuade me from picking them up. I know that it is not reasonable at all to use one kind of news to judge and resist to another. However, with stubbornness, I shielded myself from reality, and totally circumscribed my knowledge in a tiny world of mine for ages.
Having said that, I was not completely isolated from the outside world. I got a lot of news from my friends, who served as a very good news reporters whenever an interesting issue came out. Those issues, however, were always restricted in a particular field, such as studying or entertaining. These areas governed the topics we talked about every day since they are where our common interest is. Like what Dr. Josephine Pirrone mentioned in her “Trying to move out of the echo chamber” blog, people usually prefer to stay inside their own “clan”, where they can share similar ideas and interests, giving rise to a kind of “Comfort zone” in which no one wants to step out. Unfortunately, I already did, or to be more accurate, I had to. The college life abroad forced me to leave my beloved friends, and face the real world. It was so tough when I found myself sitting among groups of strangers who were talking about things I had never heard of. That compelled me to read more, starting from advertisement booklets to the college’s newspapers. I believe that my knowledge of global news and issues will continue to develop with my exposure to the new world, and I hope that one day, I will be sitting among group of friends and having a chance to take part in their conversation.
News
You pointed out that hopefully one day you will be able to join in conversation with a group of friends and I think that that shows just how effective news can be in creating cohesive relationships. The news is more than notable information, it can bring people together in communion.
You make some great points Proud. I cannot imagine coming to a huge school like this from so far away and having to deal with that transition. Commute from my home just 10 miles away and I still feel like I’m in a whole new world.