The reason we started Going Green was because the team working behind the scenes has always been awe struck by the power of media and communications. The entire world is connected with a computer that fits into the palm of our hands, and we are able to research any topic known to man and connect with just about any person, no matter where they are located, what religion they practice, or how old they are. This is an amazing thing. In the past we have relied on smoke signals, carrier pigeons, and an intricate network of writing and receiving letters. Now, a single message can be shared instantaneously to billions of people. This is a powerful thing. This has the opportunity to sway people’s opinion, to get people to unite, to share an upcoming event, or to educate the masses about a policy and utilize media in a sustainable world.
Media in a Sustainable World
With every new technology and powerful platform, the good comes with the bad. We have seen in recent years a complete lack of verifying facts before content is shared to the web, and a science has been created of how to make a click-bait article to sway people’s opinion. This can have major consequences around the world. A single article, news site, or tweet has the ability to sway major political and financial movements, all of which effect individual people around the world. The term “Fake News” is now thrown around so much that it’s hard to discern fact from fiction.
So what can we do about this? Going Green has provided a few tips and ideas of how you can use media to help make the world a better place.
Do Your Own Research
No matter where you lean on the political spectrum, or what your financial, social, or religious beliefs are, it is important not to get caught up in your own echo chamber of media and content. This happens to everyone due to who they follow on social media channels and the websites they get their information from. Most people don’t even realize it, but due to social media platforms’ algorithms, you are getting shown content that they think is most relevant to you. Because of this, you need to take a proactive approach and do your own research. If you see a headline that causes an emotion inside of you, take a second to look beyond the headline and analyze what it really means. Go to other news sites and see if they are talking about it too, and see what they are saying. Visit a variety of sites that all lean differently.
Support Quality Journalism
In the most basic terms, media companies want to make money. They make money by getting more and more people to visit their sites and look at their content. The more visits they get on their site, the more advertising dollars they can make. This means, they are not motivated by telling the truth, they are motivated by creating and sharing content that gets the most people coming back for more. There are thousands of journalists and bloggers out there that are not controlled by billion dollar corporations, and are doing research and sharing information simply because they are passionate about it and feel it is important to get this information out to the public.
Tune Out From Time To Time
When there is a crazy event happening, it is easy to be glued to our phones and watch in anticipation for the latest updates. This causes us to feel an emotional connection with this, often times raising anxiety levels. It is important to put our phones down every once in a while and remember that most people mean well, and even if you have differing ideas, you can still have meaningful conversations and learn from each other.
Educating And Inspiring
There are good things that come from the media’s ability to spread information on a mass level. There are people who are working for good causes, and successful people who are inspiring thousands. Think of the athletes we looked up to as kids because they were winners on the TV screen, or the entrepreneurs who utilize media and PR to get people excited about the latest technological innovations. Be active in finding people that keep you motivated and inspire you. It’s okay to be on your phone and utilizing mass media, but be sure to avoid the click-bait, fake news content, and find content that inspires you to live the life that you want.
Going Green Is Creating Media In A Sustainable World
At Going Green, our goal is to inspire people to live more environmentally friendly and sustainable by talking to the leading experts in renewable energy and clean technology. We thank you for taking the time to share our content and engage in our podcast, social media channels and website.
Going Green, hosted by Dylan Welch, interviews leading experts in cleantech, sustainability, media, finance, and real estate on the Going Green podcast. Tune in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple or Spotify to listen to interviews with leading cleantech and sustainable experts.
Dylan Welch is the CEO and Host of Going Green, a podcast, website, and social media brand that highlights renewable energy, cleantech, and sustainable news.