It's Time We Know the News

Can you name the nine Supreme Court justices? I was asked this question in class the other day and it surprised me when no one in the class raised their hand—including myself. Now, I’ll be honest, I don’t know all nine by memory but I can name a good 5 out of the bunch. But still, I didn’t raise my hand and say so because the silence in the room killed me. This makes me wonder—are many of us just too shy to speak out or do we actually not know about the important people and events shaping our world?Unfortunately, I think it is largely the latter. I’ve noticed recently that many young adults don’t know much about what’s going on in the world—they’re in a college bubble where the “news” is who hooked up with who and who just posted new pics on Facebook. Well, I think it’s time we burst the bubble. I used to not know much about world events myself, but after working in the news this summer, I realized how crucial it is that we inform ourselves so that we can make educated decisions as a public, and most importantly, so that we won’t be duped by smiling politicians or distracted by fluff news.Sure, we’re the future. But there isn’t much to look forward to if we don’t keep ourselves informed. Knowing about the news will make us that much more competent when it comes to politics, government policies, and safety measures, like global warming. I encourage you to make it a part of your daily routine to check on msnbc.com or the New York Times. You don’t have to spend hours reading the news—even 15 minutes can make a big difference. Baby steps by many can lead to a big change by all.Happy reading everyone!Keep shining,The Sunny Girl, Lauren CookPlease follow me on Twitter by clicking here!