Donald Trump has been in office for a little over a month, and it has been, quite possibly, the most chaotic presidency to date. Executive orders, protests, and one political scandal after another are all causing a lot of unrest in Washington, DC and among the voting electorate. Looking at the news is often too painful and, honestly, quite scary.
So, what now? Do we close all of our social media accounts, throw away the TV, and power down all of our technology? Yes, we could finally be stress free. No longer will Donald Trump's face plaster my laptop screen. Wonderful! Sign me up!
Is unplugging the answer?
For some, this approach could reduce anxiety. People go on digital detox retreats where they don't have access to any type of technology for several days, which is proven to decrease cortisol levels, the stress hormone in the human body.
This may be a healthy option for people because, sometimes, it may be better to just not know. It's enticingly easy to just throw your hands up in the air and say goodbye to the media, and political gridlock, forever.
The downside to this approach
But isn't it our moral, civic duty to stay engaged in this frenzied political climate—regardless of the stress it causes? Will we just develop FONK (fear of not knowing) about the latest government affairs and freak out? If something monumental occurs, we should be able to find out—no doubt about it. The inability to access information could be just as unhealthy as obsessively checking news outlets for breaking news.
You can never truly "unplug"
Here's the issue. You're out and about, living your life. You didn't watch TV before you left your house and you definitely have not checked any of your social media. Suddenly, you overhear two women talking about politics. And then it hits you. This world is engrossed in politics, 24/7. Even if you unplug from technology, you will hear it in random conversation and your friends will bring it up. But, oh no, you'll have zero clue what they're talking about.
Now, you're just anxiety-ridden because you don't know what's going on. In reality, not knowing breeds ignorance, and it is that same ignorance of others due to being uninformed that haunted you in the first place. You're just them, but on purpose. And that certainly wasn't the point of unplugging.
The Solution
It's upsetting but true: in our current political atmosphere, people have every right to be nervous and scared. The majority of the United States did not vote for our current president. But we cannot sit in despair forever. Staying up to date with current events is actually the move—teaching people about what is happening in society and explaining why it's wrong will impact how they vote in the next Senate elections and in the general election come 2020.
It is actually your prerogative to be involved, no matter how much anxiety it may cause. You're understanding of political events will actually be the answer to a change in power in 2020, and that is an exciting power to have. Embrace it, because that's what's truly healthiest.