Clicks Over Truth

My dad would always somehow sense when we were fully engrossed in our favorite Tv shows or movies. I'm convinced that he had superpowers when I was younger. Just when the movie started getting interesting and we were eager to know what happened next, he would slip in. His timing was a ten out of ten. It was like he had a sixth sense for running the suspense. But there was this time that still lives rent-free in my head. It was a Saturday evening. Saturdays were my dad meeting days. He’d always come home late. That day, my siblings and I were enjoying our favorite Philippine series- The promise. They released a new episode every Saturday and we had been following it for more than 6 months until that day. Just when we turned on the television to start watching, my dad walked in. “Change it to TVC news.” He roared. My siblings and I exchanged glances. “What is our daddy doing home by this time? It is not even 6 pm yet.” After gumbling, we obeyed him and were forced to watch the news with him.

Growing up, my siblings and I never willingly watched the news. We preferred to sit in front of the television all day and watch movies or our favorite shows. However, my dad made us watch the news every evening. Thanks to my dad’s insistence on watching the news together as a family, my siblings and I were always more informed about current news in our country (and in other countries) than our friends. Although none of us enjoyed spending our evenings in front of the tv, watching the news, it helped us stay informed. On days when there was no electricity, my dad had a small radio that he used to listen to the news on his favorite radio station. He would put the radio at the center of the living room and increase the volume to the highest so we would all listen.

However, as we grew older and technology continued to advance, things changed. The advancement in technology came with cell phones and that “swallowed” quality family time. Instead of gathering around the TV to watch news, our cell phones became our best friends. We stopped watching the television and switched to our cellphones instead. My mom also lost interest in watching the news. Why watch the news when she could just read them on websites and social media platforms? On the other hand, my dad remains a die-hard fan of Radio and Tv news channels.

Truthfully, I don’t remember the last time I watched the news. For someone who has not watched the news in years, I’m pretty sure that I'm more aware about updates in my country than most people. I have a Tv in my room, but I’ve never watched the news on it. Guilty! Literally, my TV is for gaming marathons and movies. So, how do I stay informed? Thanks to social media platforms and online articles. They help me keep up with current happenings . In 2020, during the lockdown, I developed a habit of reading articles on websites. Interestingly, I was more interested in articles about politics. I spent most of my day reading and also watching educational videos on Youtube. I read numerous articles not only about the government system in my country since gaining independence but also about that of other countries.

In today’s world, your motto should be “don’t believe everything you see.” The internet is a wild place; it important to know what is true and what is not. News and rumors spread like wildfire. It is sad that most of these bloggers are more concerned about making money rather than educating their audience on the right things. Some of them even go as far as sharing fake news. In my country, topics about religion, tribes and ethnic groups often cause uproar. I remember reading fake news on Facebook posted by a jobless and notorious individual who is known for spreading fake news on the internet. In that post, he claimed that the Igbo people in his state killed people from another land due to land disputes. He even added pictures. It was disheartening to read the comments and see that many people were gullible enough to deceive him.

The internet is loaded with many news platforms. It is a wild place out there. You believe anything you hear or see at your own risk. Bloggers are more concerned about the number of views they get. Of course, these social media platforms have their perks. They also share real and important updates. It is now up to us to know how to sieve the fake ones from the real ones. One way to do this is to follow up with trusted websites and blogs. Also, do your digging before jumping to conclusions.

Thanks for reading.