#I won't interact with any more news of it and tbh I rarely ever add on to the choir

[clorofolle]

I'm seeing so much oceangate stuff on my dash. I can understand why the media got obsessed with this story, but not why everyone on tumblr did. I'm seeing a lot of posts about the 19 yrs old for example - and yeah, of course I'm sorry for the kid. It sucks. And I get the compassion fatigue. I get not being able to be empathetic and grieve and be mad all day for every single disaster that happens. But I feel like the kind of things you choose to pay more attention to, and why you choose them, should be examined more carefully.

Yes, that kid was 19 and scared shitless of the trip, and it sucks he had to die. But... this was one person, who took a bad decision. You remember the boat full of migrants that capsized off the coats of Greece? There were... hundreds of people there, many of them children. And they were also really scared, and died an horrific death. That's without even taking into account the kind of life they had to endure before, if they thought this was a chance worth taking for something better.

Please, do reflect on what kind of tragedies you see talked about more often. And ask yourself why that happens. I tried giving myself answers - I'm still not sure what's the right one. Is it because tumblr is quite americanocentric, and usually uninterested with events happening in other parts of the word? Is it simply because those were rich people who died, and thus they got more coverage, and people tend to only comment whatever headlines they see that are bigger? Or is it some kind of almost on-purpose turning away from actual, preventable tragedies, ones that are symptomatic of bigger than life societal issues - and instead choosing to focus on what amounts to "rich people drama"? Because, let's be honest: 750 migrants left to die on a boat is just heart wrenching, and makes us feel hopeless and powerless. But four millionares dead for their own stupidity? That stops being a simple tragedy, and starts being entertainment.

If you read this post - if nothing else, I hope it could've helped you reflect on why you engage with the sort of news that you do, and if there's any news that you tend to ignore on purpose instead. I know I do. I'm trying to change.