Men lie. Women lie. Numbers don’t. According to CNBC, “Over the past month, the S&P 500 has lost more than 7%, while the Dow and Nasdaq have shed 6.8% and 10.2%.”
While the government continues to consolidate power to the executive branch and as diplomatic relationships with neighboring countries become strained by hefty tariffs, American uncertainty is leading our beloved economy to tank. Unlike a car accident, I find it easier to look away than to peek out the window for gory details.
But, at what point do we need to sacrifice our sanity to fully grasp the issues in today’s news, even as high school students?
Each night at dinner, my mother brings up the daily headlines. As she does, I can feel my heart rate pulsing faster. I often try to convince myself that these issues don’t need to be discussed; after all, I cannot do anything to change them. Frustrated, I resent how my mother disrupts the household’s sense of bliss, challenging a stress-free evening through an affair with reality.
After our meal, my father and I habitually turn on a hilarious episode of Seinfeld, the best way to momentarily escape contemporary politics and escape into a 1995 Manhatten. Last night, for example, in The Limo, George Costanza accepts a free limousine ride at the airport, only to realize he’s stepped into the role of a white supremacist leader named “O’Brien.” He and Jerry quickly discover they’re headed to a Nazi rally. At the time the episode aired, fascism seemed like such a relic of the past, so much so that it could create a comedic mix-up. But watching it today, in a political landscape where extremist ideologies have re-emerged, the humor hits differently.
Though I’ve been deliberately avoiding the news, watching this episode reminded me that political topics are inescapable, especially when they play a key role in everyone’s daily life. I find it difficult to imagine that in a short amount of time, I will be an adult inheriting an economy that is arguably about to enter a recession and a workforce where unemployment is beginning to rise. Though these changes are happening steadily, they are undeniably heading in a less-than-favorable direction.
Current political leaders seem to have an overall disinterest in the well-being of the American people, evident in the cutbacks to departments. The U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Transportation and even the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have all faced extreme layoffs that will undoubtedly harm American innovation and future success, a subject I assumed more conservatives cared to protect.
Outside our borders, recent policy is shifting American foreign relations, specifically with our neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico. There are tangible consequences. The 25% tariff on goods from Canada has led to protests in the streets of Montreal. American flags with a large red X covering the red, white and blue. Signs reading, “No enemy like a friend betrayed” painted across sidewalks. And though this is a concern that affects me personally, as a student attending a Canadian university next year, countless other issues would strike other students if they were to follow the news.
Are those who based their vote last fall on the economy paying attention? With political issues directly impacting the vitality of the stock market, there is no escaping the consequences of the government, even when choosing to ignore journalism. No matter how exhilarating, unsettling, or agonizing it may be, the news remains painfully relevant in everyday life.
Every soon-to-be adult needs to sacrifice their serenity by staying informed on today’s breaking news and finding a balance between the comfort of the past and the chaos of the present. If enough American citizens do this, the United States will adjust to the level of anger they should be given our current predicament.
So, I’ll keep watching “Seinfeld,” but I’ll also stop ignoring the news. After all, tuning out won’t make the world any less real.
