Survival of Election Season: Unplug, Disconnect, Reset
By Claudia Langella
One of the United States’ most important elections is upon us. Everywhere you turn, someone is campaigning for a candidate or piece of legislature. This year has been a tumultuous rollercoaster ride. A saturated and stressful election does not add much positivity to our daily lives. Sometimes it may feel as if you’re running around with your head chopped off not knowing where you’re supposed to be.
Don’t fret. Take a deep breath. Log off of social media for a few hours. Focus on the things that are most important to you. Do your own research, and then decide who you’ll be voting for in November.
We live in a time where news is instantaneous—headlines flood our feeds all day long and with the click of a refresh button there’s always something new to absorb. The media is a powerful tool so you should make sure that the content you’re interacting with on a daily basis is truthful and reflective of the things you care most about. In order to do just that, you have to find the right media outlets. We’re here to show you that unplugging is possible and that you can enjoy such a critical election as this one.
News Sources
First thing is first, do your research so you’re able to make your OWN informed decisions. Find independent sources who report the news sans bias. It may be hard to believe, but they do exist! Consume unbiased news stories from The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and the BBC. These outlets are known for reporting the news as it is. No opinions, no BS! There are no journalists trying to force a narrative on you, which is why we’re unplugging in the first place!
Search Engines
A second habit to practice so you can make informed conclusions is to use an unbiased search engine. Popular search engines use user data for its own use and for third parties. There are a plethora of other search engines to choose from, so the next time you want to know about a political candidate without any fluff being thrown at you, try out one of these: Gibiru, Qwant, Ask or Ecosia, where one tree is planted for every forty-five searches! If you’re really worried about your privacy, try DuckDuckGo; there are minimal ads and you can add their extension to your browser so your activity online stays private.
General Tips
Learn to make informed decisions through unbiased research. Remember that you are not the people you surround yourself with; just because your friends vote one way does not mean you have to vote like them. Stop relying on one source for all of your political news. Read multiple sources on one story to help you determine your stance on it.
Most importantly, get out there and vote! To check the status of your registration go to this link here. A democracy cannot function without the voice of its people, so don’t let the oversaturation of this election stress you out too much. If you can’t make it to your polling place because of school or the coronavirus, apply for an absentee or mail-in ballot. This election is too crucial for any of us to sit it out.
Cultivating knowledge on any topic is super important to practice as we age. We can no longer allow the media to educate ourselves. We have to do the work if we want to see the outcome. Being informed on an issue, legislature or political party is always in. Take advantage of the time you have now. Do your research, take a rest and you’ll feel confident walking into your polling place on November 3.
cover image via Fee