Beirut… From Behind an iPhone Screen
It was a humid day. I usually take my two boys to their football session every Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, I do my 1-hour jog, to generate energy for this 37 years old body of mine. One minute I was jogging, the other minute, I was looking for a chair to sit down, and re-play a video of an explosion the whole world will never forget!
We can never imagine the feelings of those who were in the area, of those who were under the rubble, those who were waiting for beloved ones to show up, or those who just heard the news that will change their lives forever. WE WERE NOT THERE! But, we were there… behind our iPhone screens!
This small screen is a miracle; checking my twitter feed, watching videos of the explosion from different angles, reading the news, and most importantly, checking on dear friends, relatives, and colleagues, and making sure they are safe despite the shock. Everyone I know was fine and safe, but that moment was a turning point for many of them, especially in a country that has seen so much catastrophes in the past few decades.
I was not the only one stuck to my phone; many people did that. It was their only window to getting the latest updates on what is going on. However, I have seen many of them say: “Enough is enough. I am not watching the news anymore.. I am disconnecting and putting away my phone!”
I have done that many times, and this is a theory that exists in a world of information abundance. “News avoidance” is a term used to describe people’s choice to stop consuming news in order to turn away from any source of distress caused by the continuous flow of negative news and updates.
I believe people should do social detox every now and then, but they have to continue learning about what is going on around them in the world. That matters because with awareness comes ability to change. I am not saying that we are going to create a new world just sitting behind our screens, but knowing about the miseries of our loved ones in Lebanon and sending a message of support to them would mean a lot. It would help them realize that this support is what they need to create change.
On the other hand, avoiding the news creates another source of distress, which is known as “FOMO”: fear of missing out. In such times, people want to know if loved ones are found, death toll, economic losses.. etc.
Those screens bring us good and bad news. They show us true and fake photos. But nevertheless, they are strong tools in our hands to create that change even if we are thousands of miles away. You have the control, you choose the battle, the time, and the tool to make a difference.