Tuning In to Tuning Out at 8:09 PM

Up until I read Tuned Out by David Mindich, I felt that I kept up with current events pretty well. I occasionally came across the hot topics of discussion while surfing the 'net and at least knew a good majority of the important goings on around the world. When I find something particularly intriguing, which is usually a hit or miss scenario, I'll actually actively seek out more information, but, admittedly, won't have the patience to sit and read a lengthy article on the matter.

As I was reading what I thought would be a refresher of the facts I'm familiar with regarding a lack of political knowledge among youths, I discovered something quite disheartening about myself, my generation, and future generations. Mindich asked young adults about certain basic facts about politics. Sure I knew a few as I was bound to as I considered myself fairly knowledgeable, but I quickly realized that I barely know a fraction of what he was asking. I couldn't believe the facts that completely stumped me like naming the Supreme Court Justices or the officials in cabinet positions. I could only name a couple and I'm going easy on myself.

I felt like I didn't know anything until I read on about the statistical results. They were beyond appalling; they were alarming. How could people not know practically anything? There were moments where Mindich points out that some of us don't even know what we don't know. At times, people were mistaken when it comes to who tunes out and why. While some said young people moved to watching television to get their news, others claimed the internet was the ultimate source of where kids were becoming informed. It seems that in all medium there is a decline in readership among all age groups as years go by.

Having so many not even hear about these events let alone understand them is discouraging and upsetting. Why wouldn't someone care to look in to where their tax dollars were going? What about the future for their kids or at least for themselves? Do people not want to know about the atrocities happening in parts of the globe? In their country? Their neighborhood?

Then I selfreflect on my news proficiency and I can't blame people for giving up trying to educate themselves. With news stations like Fox, CNN, and MSNBC becoming more entertainment news where the big story of the day isn't the excessevely over-priced war in Iraq/Iran but instead on who the father is of Anna Nicole Smith's baby. I can understand committing an hour or two spread throughout a few days to a week on the issue but this celebrity scandal went on for hours each day for weeks. Although it's entertaining and grabs attention, it's not what people should be aware of when there are more important matters that should, no, need to be brought into focus. I just wish news stations would stick to the real news and not cater to those audience members who only care about celebrity gossip, sex, and impertinent crime.