Tuned In

Art Lily Foley

By Molly Gelman An exploration of caring consciously in an information-saturated world.

Today, everyone is overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with the usual school and work, but more so, with the state of our world. Overwhelmed because there is so much to think and care about. Overwhelmed because it is all too much being constantly tuned in. The Black Lives Matter movement, the presidential elections, LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, and a global pandemic only scratch the surface of what is going on in today’s world. There are innumerable issues to protest, worry and post about—and, why not? These are all such pressing concerns that deserve action and attention. But that right there is the problem: we are so overwhelmed because we are always so tuned in to everything that we can barely act on anything.

In a world so saturated with information it can be near-impossible to hone in on just one issue when everything is so urgent, so important, and so demanding of attention. Sometimes to truly make a difference and create the change we want to see in the world, we have to take a step back and really ask ourselves: what can we do? Sure, posting about a plethora of social justice causes is helpful to educate others and spread awareness, but how can one address all of these issues at once? This by no means is saying to care less, or about less, but rather to introduce the idea of “quality over quantity” in our reality of being inundated with every problem the world has to offer. This is a call to “care consciously.” To choose when to tune in, what to tune in about, and to do so with purpose; to become educated, and in turn educate others. If we all take one thing upon ourselves to act on, to go one step past the Instagram story, we can productively change the world for the better.

Below are a few causes that people are currently less tuned into that could use some conscious caring. We encourage you to read and think, and if you find something that inspires you, to act.

Internment Camps in China

In China, over one million Uighurs and others belonging to Muslim minority groups are being detained in over 400 internment camps in Xinjiang region. While Chinese authorities refer to these as “re-education” systems, they are far closer to prisons with reports detailing psychological indoctrination programs and other unthinkable forms of torture. This may feel unimaginable and far away, but it is happening right now and there are things you can do about it. Attached below are petitions to sign and articles to read to get you started.

Prisoners for Profit

Starbucks, Walmart, Victoria’s Secret, and JCPenney. These are just a few corporations that benefit off of prison labor for a profit. How do they accomplish this? One way corporations sustain this highly profitable system is through involvement with organizations such as the American Legislative Exchange Council. This is a coalition of large companies that help fund representatives who support privatization of prisons, primarily due to the large profitability prison labor offers. They are responsible for pioneering some of the harshest sentencing laws on the books today, such as mandatory minimums for non-violent drug offenders. All of these sentences are supported, lobbied for, and applied in efforts by these corporations to further this highly profitable labor system, resulting in unjust furthered incarceration, coerced plea deals and much more, all for some extra money in their pockets.

The Clean Water Crisis

Today, 844 million people lack access to clean water. This means that each one of those people do not have the proper resources to drink, cook, or bathe. The lack of clean water can result in entire communities being locked in poverty for generations due to the absence of these basic resources. Meanwhile, these communities lie vulnerable to the diseases dirty water contains, and women and girls are unable to receive any form of education due to their burden of carrying water for their families. Without this stepping stone for development, so much of the world is left stuck and desperate for a way out. Thankfully, there are several organizations, including Innovation Africa and The Water Project, that are on a mission to deliver this necessary element to communities in need. Linked below are resources so you can help bring clean water to the world.

Being tuned in is important. However, it is vital to our world and wellbeing that we practice “continuous caring.” We must take action and be the change we want to see in the world, but not forget to take care of ourselves in the process. When we are tuned in, we need to do so with purpose, to remain present in the world we are trying so desperately to improve.