Politics and the media

If someone drinks excessively more than the recommended intake amount, they are labelled with an alcohol addiction. If someone is a smoker, they are labelled as having an addiction. If someone gambles thousands of pounds a month, they are considered to have a gambling addiction. We freely recognises these forms of addiction created by society, but fail to realise the biggest addiction in our interconnected world to date. Why are we addicted to busyness? Our sociopolitical and economic system revolves around the idea of doing as much as you can, in as short a period of time as possible. Economic strength is measured through GDP, the value of economic activity in a specific time-frame. Having a "good" social life is an indicator that you partake in many activities, with many different people. To be "well-travelled" is to have visited awide plethora of different places and cultures.The more, it seems, the better. That constant endeavour for various personal pursuit...

In an age where we consume vast amounts of data, through the ever-diversifying social media and the conciseness of print media, misinformation is dangerous. Dangerous to the point that it lies act as basis for the hostile political opinions of many and is creating a society filled with division and animosity. I am reluctant to use the term "fake news", because the man synonymous with its popularity is only fuelling the problem, but it is the easiest way to label this phenomenon. I have long spoken of the troubles we have in terms of media coverage throughout the Western world , how our rush for speed of information often gets in the way of telling a truthful story. Journalists are controlled by editors with specific briefs, obstructing rigorous, investigative work with the facts buried under a pile of abhorrent political rhetoric. This has been endemic, bubbling underneath the surface. But now it is bearing its teeth, with regards to a problem that really ought not to be...