Regional commentary by Jeff Burgar
“Kids,” she said firmly, “just don’t pay attention to the news. They haven’t a clue what is going on in the world.”
Honestly, many of us have the same idea. Kids and young adults walking with ear buds or headphones wibbling away to their brains.
Cellphones glued to ears, or texting, or mailing. Video games and movies fighting for attention with homework and household chores.
Yup. What would we ever do if we had to fight a war – an often blathered comment heard so many times.
But, is it really true? The idea our youth have no clue as far as news is concerned? As one person comments, “Kids know a lot more than we give them credit for. And in fact, it’s a lot of adults who really are the clueless ones.”
Hmmm. Now there is a thought. It isn’t too hard to think of a few M.D., County or Town councillors around our fair land who do seem to be out in left field.
Being a busy poster on Facebook does not make one a fine example of knowledge and intelligence.
These days, half the world is not on Facebook.
And more than half of the ones who are users, just read posts to see what kind of stupidity the rest are up to.
This newspaper pays attention to the “social media,” simply because that’s part of our job. We also read news releases. Watch TV. Read newspapers. Faxes. Emails.
We listen to gossip in the coffee shop. We listen to silliness at meetings.
In all that, many will agree there are many, many clueless “adults” out there. In fact, count us in that crowd often. There probably isn’t a day goes by we don’t make a flub or do something silly. Just like almost all the world.
It’s just too busy a planet for most of us to be Mother Teresa, or her equivalent in sports, news, politics, farming, business, education, health, home life, or you name it, each and every moment.
Knowing the news? Kids don’t know what our MLA did last week? What the president of France said Sunday? What Jason Kenney did on Friday? Riots in Portland?
What about that missing teddy bear?
Maybe it’s a fluke a Vancouver woman had her backpack, with her beloved teddy bear inside, that contained a recording of her deceased mother’s final words, was recovered.
The backpack was stolen several days ago. Video caught on camera was displayed everywhere that news is shown. Two young people recognized the perp.
They confronted him. Got the teddy bear. Returned it in almost perfect shape to the grief-stricken woman.
Young people don’t know the news?
Or maybe it’s more like, young people pay attention to news that really matters.
When they see things they can do something about, they act. Makes you kinda think, there’s a lot of good things in the world still, even if cynics would say it’s all about the reward money offered.
Much more to the point is moving past rewards or good deeds. The point is, a lot more people know “news,” even if it’s for rewards, we don’t give them enough credit for knowing.
