I thought the cultural vitriol reached a fever pitch with the 2016 election. Little did I know it was the new norm that would settle over our daily lives like a thundercloud that doesn’t dissipate or that 2020 would bring a pandemic and massive unrest. Breaking news, social media tirades, and celebrities with platforms inundate us and vie for our attention and support.
There is no shortage of partisanship or pundits. I often feel overwhelmed and slipping into anxiety or apathy. One night recently while I was watching an old episode of The Simpsons to unwind, the laughs led to a realization. It was the Halloween episode where the advertisements came to life and started wrecking the town, and as it turned out the solution was relatively simple: just don’t look.
As the jingle Lisa and Paul Anka sang to that effect started to play, it dawned on me that my anxiety and apathy, in this case, were mostly self-inflicted wounds. The idea of a Media Blackout Week came to mind at that moment as well. What if we could simultaneously remind ourselves that we could rise above the fray and send a message to the various media outlets that we won’t be told or sold what to think? I believe we can. It is helpful to understand what media blackout week is and is not.
What Media Blackout Week Is
- Taking a collective deep breath
- Disconnecting from all media to form deeper connections
What Media Blackout Week Is Not
- A boycott
- A political statement
- An ideological movement
So, the week of Sunday, October 4th through Saturday, October 10th, 2020, I’ll be unplugging from all forms of media: television, radio, social media, print, and online. It doesn’t matter if the content is liberal, conservative, progressive, or “neutral.” I’d like to disconnect from the media to reconnect with friends, family, and a sense of purpose and meaning. My hope is twofold: to experience a media detox of sorts and that you’ll join me. It really is simple. For seven days, just don’t look.
Use the image and shortlink below to spread the word.
Social Media
Learn more: https://wp.me/P7YjDA-8a
