You have to consume the news. Even when it's difficult.

I've been seeing an uptick in posts along the lines of "the news is too overwhelming, so I've stopped paying attention". I understand the temptation; the news is often negative, it discusses heavy topics, and there's just so much of it. The stories about death, war, destruction, human rights being stripped away, and everything else take quite an emotional toll. But the sheer volume makes it even more important for you to pay attention - at least to what affects you.

When you stop paying attention to the news, you stop being informed. You are voluntarily giving up one of the most potent tools in anybody's toolbox: information. You are choosing to stay ignorant, detached, and passive.

If you choose to stay uninformed, then you turn a blind eye. You are, effectively, deciding to become a bystander; since you do not know what is happening, there is no way to form an opinion on it, or any way to effect change. You are accepting whatever happens, because you've removed yourself from the position of having even a remote possibility to do anything about it. But unlike a bystander, ignoring the news means that you are potentially aware of changes that directly impact you, often negatively. If you ignore what's happening, will you know if a new law is enacted that strips away your own rights?

If you're not directly consuming the news, whether that's text media, radio, or TV - no, social media doesn't count - then you are not just ignoring what's happening; you are actively sacrificing the privilege of forming opinions for yourself. You are relying on other people to decide for you what to think, whether that's in-person or on social media.

If you choose to rely entirely social media for your news, then everything is filtered. Everything is filtered through the echo chambers that social media algorithms create, limiting both the issues that you are exposed to and the framing of those issues. Everything is also filtered through the nature of social media, where engagement is the top priority; sensationalism, extremism, and exaggeration are designed to spark outrage and other strong emotions. 

Instead of turning  a blind eye, or relying on social media for the news, you need to pay attention to traditional media. You need to critically evaluate the news, and form your own opinions on what's happening. You need to stay informed on what's happening around you, and decide whether you are okay with it or if you need to push back.

You don't necessarily have to pay attention to everything across the world. While knowing what's happening internationally is important, keeping tabs on what's happening locally to you takes precedence. Whether that's at the national level, state level, or even municipal level will depend on your situation - but that's the most important to pay attention to. That's where you can get involved. That's where you have to form your own opinions on what's happening. That's where you can make a difference - but only if you know what's going on.