I think that Mr Hagerman's blockade is acceptable for someone to do, it is not the responsibility of Americans to know everything thats going on in the country. It is more so a responsibility for an American to follow the laws, and be kind to others. What he is doing is not negatively affecting everyone else. I would not be able to do the same thing, because I wouldn't be able to stay away from my phone, or people around me that are informed on the news. I have like Mr Hagerman reacted strongly to a news event, but not as strongly as him. I did not take a break from social media, but I did ignore certain things that I didn't want to see.
There are many other ways to be good citizens besides being informed on the media. We can do things like community service, we can thrive in our respected jobs, and we can always be kind to our fellow citizens.
No, keeping up with the news and politics is duty of the Americans, it's not necessarily something we have to do, but it is something you should do. Most of my generation, being born in 2001, shows little to no care for politics, that is until something doesn't go their way. In Mr. Hagerman's case, I do not condone nor believe this was a good decision, but ignorance is bliss, although it could be argued that ignorance is saved for the children. I don't stay on top of the news everyday, but i keep a general idea of what is happening. Even if I did it wouldn't prove that i'm a better American because of it, it only shows that I might have an interest in domestic politics.
No, not at all. I personally don't really keep up with much news and as a result I like to believe I'm much happier. The only reason why someone cares about your political opinions is to try to change them, so why have them? Of course some issues you're going to need to comment on, and that's when you can do research, and look at the issue without the pretense of what political figure XYZ said, or what you heard on the news that they discussed for 2 minutes and moved on.
I don’t necessarily think neglecting the news makes you a bad citizen. I feel like by looking at the news, we can get a better understanding of our society which improves us as a citizen. Looking at the news is necessary to know what is happening in our communities and country. By keeping up with the news, we are learning what is benefitting and harming our world. We can ensure that we don’t make the same mistakes that are happening in our world by looking at the news. In conclusion, looking at the news is very beneficial for citizens, but not looking at the news doesn’t make you a bad citizen.
Although not staying well informed can have a lasting toll on someone, they aren't necessarily being a "bad citizen". There are some people who choose not to expose themselves to all of the terrible news articles so that they can protect themselves from fear. Sometimes, though people think it's best to stay sheltered from the pain and heartache of the news, it's best for us to listen in and protect ourselves from danger if necessary. We, as citizens, have to figure out how to accept that this is the world we live in, and change cannot be created without well informed people with a mission. People shouldn't be considered a "bad citizen" for not staying in contact with the news, but change can only be struck through those who know enough to make it happen.
I believe that causing yourself to not learn about what’s happening to the world and America is fine. It’s up to you to do what you want. I personally don’t pay much attention to the news, but I like to know what major events are happening. If a news event comes up that peaks my interest, I would start to follow the news more, but if not, I won’t really watch the news. I believe everyone should know a little bit about what’s happening to the world. Also, it’s fine to not pay attention to the news because that won’t necessarily say you are a bad citizen.
In my opinion, I believe that you are a bad citizen if you do not keep up with the news. For example, if you are not up to date on current events you cannot be expected to vote in elections, both locally and nationally. You will not know how the candidates relate to certain issues. You will not know who to vote for, and it is a good citizen’s duty to vote. Also, you must keep up with the news on pressing social issues. You must know about social issues in order to help change them.
I believe that Mr. Hagerman’s “Blockade” on news was an irresponsible action. I think that because he was upset he should have worked to fight against what he thought was wrong and not just give up on the world by not learning the news. I would not consider doing this because I believe we should stay updated on our news, and I am a very curious person so if I was not learning about the current events I would be so curious I wouldn’t be able to last long without it. I have previously reacted strongly to a news event, but not in the same way as Mr. Hagerman. Unlike him, I decided to read more and more about this topic to develop a full understanding of what was happening, so I could possibly have the ability to tell my opinion. I think that you are being a bad citizen when you don’t pay attention to news. Whether we like it or not, the news we hear is what is happening around us. To be a good citizen we must fight for what we believe is right, so when we don’t know what is happening we can’t fight for what we believe in to help our fellow citizens.
I think that Mr. Hagerman’s “blockade” was slightly irresponsible. It is one of his jobs as a citizen to keep up with news and whats going on in our World. I personally would not do something similar. I prefer to know whats going on in our lives and how we can help certain things and prevent them too. I have never had such a strong reaction where I shut off the media completely but I have had bad and good reactions to news. I do not think we are bad citizens if we don’t keep up with the news, I just think that it can be a bit irresponsible. In our age we use a lot of social media, which means that it can be left up to the people to organize protests. I believe that us as citizens, do have the responsibility to keep up with the news because it can affect us in positive, and negative ways.
We are being bad citizens if we do not keep up with the news for many reasons. Firstly, the news provides the public with the current information on politics. If a citizen does not read accurate news, he or she is more susceptible to fake news, and will either hurt, not not take part in the voting process. Secondly, the news keeps everyone who reads, watches or listens to it up to date on worldly and local issues. A person who has not been up to speed with the news is less likely to be aware of these things, and will become a passive member of society. Lastly, the news keeps us informed about anything and everything we need to know in real time. Current events, issues, points of view, everything. A good citizen is an active and knowledgeable citizen, and a major part of this is keeping up with the news.
I believe that to be good citizens we should know what is going on in the world around us. Following the news is an important aspect in everyone’s lives for multiple reasons. First, people should know what is happening because it will be talked about everywhere. Many conversations and debates that are started are about topics in the news and these conversations are what shape our society, whether they be huge public debates on tv or small conversations with a friend. Second, people need to prepare themselves for future events, and the news helps them to do so. For example, if you lived on the coast and didn’t hear about a hurricane, you would be in a much more dire situation than a person that did listen to the news and gathered the things they needed to prepare themselves. The news helps keep many people safe. Third, we should know how we affect things going on in the world, whether it be positive or negative, and try to alter our actions based off of that. For example, learning about crises in other countries helps us learn what we can do to make a positive impact there. The news is a very important part of the world and everyone should pay attention to it.
I believe that to run away or ignore the world around us will never help anything. For a problem to be solved there needs to be knowledge received by the people that can warn or inform on possible problems or causes for worry. For our society to function it is important that we conform to reality and look at things the way they are in order to find out what possibly dangerous laws or actions might be going into place, as well as seeing what we as a society we should push towards to make it a better place. To simply dive into your own personal bubble of what you would like your reality to be and ignoring important events is not helping anyone at all. To purposely “live under a rock” is something that I would think to be not helpful in society because we need to have people thinking of the they ways we can turn our society around and not thinking of ways to put all information over our heads.
Not keeping in touch with current events is not fulfilling your duties and responsibilities as a good citizen. I agree with Mr. Hagerman that sometime the news can be hard to hear or even tragic. However, this does not mean that we must ignore the facts and tradegies in order to spare ourselves. Instead, as good citizens, if we become informed about an injustice through the news, it is our duty to go out and seek justice. We must not ignore what is going on in our world now, or there will not be a prepared and ready future.
I believe that we are being bad citizens if we do not keep up with the news because with no knowledge of anything that is happening, we automatically eliminate any chance of change coming about. Along with the several controversial storylines that have been present in our media, we have experienced changes and seen new leaders. The movements leading up to these changes have been led by people who were either affected personally or strongly invested in the issue. Without awareness of what is going on in our country, we have no way of seeing change or progress in the issues that matter most.
I believe that it is not very important to keep up with the news. Many people often don’t have the time or necessities in order to view the news and I don’t think this makes them bad citizens. Sure it’s important to watch it sometimes but often times the news doesn’t have much to do with you in particular. You can watch the news if you like but I don’t think it will make you less of a person if you dont.
I think that Mr. Hagerman’s “Blockade” is irresponsible because someone should never fully eject themselves out of the current events in society and be clueless on what is going on in the world. In our world today, there are so many unexpected events that change the way we look at society. If someone is unaware of what is happening in our world, they won’t know who to help in a situation. In my opinion, I would never consider blockading myself from the news because even though I don’t really read deeply into each story, I still have a good idea on what is happening in our world. I also believe that we are being bad citizens if we don’t keep up with the news because it informs us about the world we live in and what is happening in our society.
I think that keeping up with the news and current events in the world is a key part of your duty as a citizen to any country, not just the United States. By following the news, you allow yourself to understand what others are going through around the world, and will make you a more informed human. Understanding what is happening to others around the world, especially at a time like this in the world, where unpleasant things happen very often, can inspire you to make a difference. Ignoring the world’s events, and merely focusing on the world you see, does not allow you to speak your voice and make a change.
I believe that as citizens we should partake in the news and also shouldn’t. I believe we should be involved because they report what we need to know and special information that can impact us and impact our thoughts and opinions on many things, I also think we should partake and create new ways to spread the news and talk about in a special way. I think we shouldn’t partake in the news and/or listen to it because it can warp our minds to think about new things and possibly almost control us, if we are controlled and told what we think is right society will change. The news can be helpful but also harmful so if you follow the news don’t fully invest in it but have a backup plan or something that you always believe in.
I do not agree with Mr. Hagerman’s “Blockade” on the news because I believe that being well informed on current events is crucial and an important aspect of life. By not knowing important events, we are not making a difference in our world. Think about the 17 students who lost their lives in the Parkland shooting. If all of us were to not be informed on the news, the Parkland students message on ending gun violence will not spread. Because of this, I would never consider being attached from the news network, for I feel it is essential to be aware of important events happening around me. By keeping up with the news, I am able to make a difference in our world. So, I do believe that we are being bad citizens by not keeping up with current events that need to be addressed.
American citizens should seek reliable sources of information on current events, screen media outlets for bias, and form independent reasonable opinions on events affecting our world, nation and local cities. Citizens in our nation are inundated with endless data, factual information and editorial commentary on current events. It appears that when it comes to the news, “you can run but you can’t hide!” Are We Being Bad Citizens If We Don’t Keep Up With the News, by Natalie Proulx, ponders the question of our obligations as American citizens to follow current events. Erik Hagerman, sickened by a political election he did not like, has succeeded in avoiding news stories and has seemingly found stability and contentment in an uniformed life. Although Mr. Hagerman may find that his ignorance of current events saves him from irritation or uneasiness, he is failing to honor the duties of responsible citizenship in our nation. American citizenship has many privileges and benefits but requires adults of voting age to participate in our democratic government and adults who fail to keep up with the news are in fact “bad” citizens.
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Disconnecting from the world would be a very challenging task to take on in this day and age. I would personally not do what Mr. Hagerman did because it would be extremely difficult to not understand or be knowledgeable of the current events. I feel like we, as citizens of the US, should know what is going on around us. If we do not agree with something, we have the right to speak up and be a part of the change for the better. I understand how some past events brought anger and confusion, but I feel like these events should take away our rights. Our generation is here to make change and be the difference. We are the ones who will be sharing our thoughts, so we should know what we are talking about. This is why we need to keep up with the news and stay up to date. I may not know every single thing going on in the news daily, but I would never personally do what Mr Hagerman did although I do understand and have respect for his actions.
I did the believe that everyone has a choice to be as involved in the news and media as they want. Along with that, I also believe that if a person has a strong opinion about an event they have the right to speak out in a way they see fit. In the case of Erik Hagerman, he had his own opinion on the 2016 election and instead of taking to social media and boasting their thoughts like other people, Mr. Hagerman decided to cut himself off from the news which basically caused him to cut himself from the world. Even though Mr. Hagerman decided not to keep up with current events, I think there benefits in reading the news because it’s allows us to discover our view on the world and become independent minds. In a world with contradicting views, reading all those views will allow us to create our own ideas on how the world works.
The Trump Administration has been chugging through the past year in D.C. with lots of roadblocks and obstacles, well documented in the news. With them they have brought the phrase “fake news,” pioneered by Donald Trump and thrown around willy nilly at anyone that has a different opinion from the aggressor. Today it’s difficult to know for certain whether or not one’s source is fallacious, but consuming no news whatsoever isn’t a good solution. Sure, you’ll never hear anything wrong or anything that bothers you, but you’ll never hear anything; period. Erik Hagerman is right to dislike Donald Trump (most people do), but to completely close oneself off from any information relating to him is childish. It’s akin to a kindergartener plugging his ears whilst repeating that he can’t hear you. Additionally, it’s irresponsible. America is unique in having freedom of speech and freedom of the press as an immutable right, so to give up that aspect of being an American citizen is a grievous mistake. People all across the world are silenced for speaking their mind, and fed state-run media with the sole purpose of controlling the population. One person being uninformed isn’t a problem, but if this becomes a trend the government could easily start impeding on rights and nobody would even know it was happening. Good citizens stand up for what’s right, but that’s not possible if one doesn’t know what they’re standing up for.
I think that Hagerman’s undertaking of the news is the complete opposite of responsible. It is ignorant, childish, and quite frankly, cowardly. Hagerman needs a reality check. Simply avoiding the problem does nothing except blanket it underneath willful ignorance. Now, as cynical of a society as we are, I have to believe that at its roots this democracy still means something. As American citizens it is our rightful duty not only to vote but to let our voices be heard. We must spread our wisdom, rally for change, and respectfully protest those who oppose. To me, this is what it means to be an American. Pretending a problem does not exist in a blissful attempt to make is not something our founding fathers of democracy would have stood for.
For that reason, no, I would never do something similar to what Mr. Hagerman did. I believe that change can start from strong individuals with an opinion. One would be a fool to sit back and do nothing while what they stand for is being taken away from them. It is as simple as, if you don’t like something- do something about it.
As a teenager in today’s society, I feel greatly affected by the protest on gun control. I would never disrespect another American for their opinion- even if it may differ from mine- but I will always make my own opinion known. This is the absolute bare minimum that I can do. And although small, it is at least something.
Being an American citizen means that you are given the opportunity to make a difference in your community. This opportunity is one that many people do not take advantage of, but to me, it is what makes someone a good citizen. If a person such as Hagerman decides to remove himself from politics than that is their decision. As an American, it is their choice. I too have been discouraged by the news. There is so much bad in the world, but ignoring it doesn’t make it go away. I keep up with the news so that I know who I can support who can make a difference, or what to boycott for the issues it promotes.
People such as Hagerman, who instead avoid problems, spending their lives in ignorant bliss are simultaneously avoiding making a difference. Do to his choices, Hagerman in no position to exercise his right to vote. Being informed about political issues as well as the platforms which candidates are running on is a crucial part of our democracy and without it, political parties will continue to control the government rather than the people.
The one part of Hagerman’s story which I disagree with is the statement that Hagerman never did anything with the news. Current events help to form opinions. Likely, the news Hagerman had listened to or read had helped make him into the liberal he is. Without receiving news, he no longer is forming opinions, instead of continuing with his beliefs which are making no difference in the world since he is no longer connected to it.
We live in a world in which we are constantly bombarded with information, 90% of which is about the Trump administration and the majority of it is negative. Due to modern day social media and reporting, Americans are able to be omnipotent, but just because someone chooses to ignore this option, does not mean that they are a bad citizen.
Staying current with the news of today has a price, mental health. It is easy to become consumed by the negativity, by the stress, and by the hate. Politics can be divisive. It can make you look twice at your friends and reconsider relationships. And what’s the benefit? Is being aware of all of the horrible things happening in the world worth our peace of mind? The answer is no.
In Erik Hagerman’s case, he decided to completely block out the news from his life. After Donald Trump was elected, he chose to entirely ignore every ounce of information about politics and government out of his life. Honestly, I am kind of jealous of him. The expression “ignorance is bliss” fits this scenario perfectly. Hagerman has never been tormented by the relentless bombardment of negative information into his life.
However, I would not recommend starting such a drastic initiative, since it likely will result in social isolation. That being said, he has the right idea. Choosing to “tune out” some of the news does not make anyone a bad citizen. It simply means they are prioritizing his or her peace of mind over some knowledge.
Placing a “blockade” on something in life isn’t all that eccentric. This can be seen as a coping mechanism or even an attempt to provoke change. Even with this in mind, establishing a “blockade” towards the news is different. This is not only irresponsible, but it is also ignorant and disrespectful. In my own eyes, for an individual to place a blockade on the news, they must possess a sense of superiority above others, almost as if they are better than the rest of society. In a sense, it’s basically holding the ideology that you only care for what occurs within the small bubble of your own life. Selfish, right?
I would consider placing a blockade on something if I felt it was necessary, but placing it on the news is simply not an option. I would feel out of touch with society, and lose a facet of my life entirely. The news is reassuring and vital to keeping me informed and up to date with what is transipiring in the world around me. For me to tune all of that out, and constantly “look the other way” is downright wrong and would be an unintelligent decision to say the least. Over the course of my life, I have been able to witness historic events occur through the news. Without the news, society would be delayed in receiving certain information.
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Honestly, the idea of someone putting a “Blockade” in their life isn’t all that bizarre. Hagerman himself is living proof that you don’t need news to be a proper American citizen. Of course, being informed is very important for a citizen, but not looking out for the news doesn’t automatically make you a bad citizen. You can also be a good citizen by helping out around the community, helping out people in need. Personally, I’m not someone who actively looks out for the news, I usually learn what’s going on from my friends conversations or the occasional new york times article, but I probably wouldn’t go through a personal blockade because it can be a bit excessive.
Before reading this article I thought that not listening or reading the news was a preposterous idea. I mean, how could anyone completely shut out the news? And if they did, what would they do with their lives? Well, apparently it's doable. After I read the article, I realized the Mr. Hagerman is just like any of us, he just doesn't have the worry or the negativity that the news brings. His "Blockade" lead him to live a fuller happier life, and without the worries of the world he can focus on what really matters to him.
I don't think I would apply this "Blockade" of his to my life because I am generally not affected by the news. I also feel like that growing up in the world we have today, always surrounded by people, internet, and the news, it would be hard for me to enforce his idea.
What he is doing is not irresponsible because he is doing for his own sake, but it isn't responsible either because shutting himself off from the stories of the world, well, that seems boring to me, but more than that, I think that it is selfish. Many people, when watching or reading the news take no action towards what they feel, but the fact that they know what is happening, and that they know there is a problem (or something good), is sometimes enough. However, what he is doing, with completely shutting himself off from the news, it is selfish because he is not only ignoring Mr. Trump and the politics he doesn't agree with, he is ignoring the world.
Personally, I feel that a good citizen should be able to express their opinion in any peaceful, well-mannered way. A citizen doesn’t have to be a news finatic but should have a general idea about what is going on in his or hers government.
The actions taken by Mr. Hagerman are perfectly acceptable to me because he is expressing how he feels about America’s situation with the newly elected president; Donald Trump. This action taken by a normal American citizen is neither irresponsible or responsible, its more opinionated and has to deal with their own decisions. “It’s not like I wanted to just steer away from Trump or shift the conversation. It was like I was a vampire and any photon of Trump would turn me to dust,” this shows us that Mr. Hagerman is not doing this to shame Trump, he is more doing it for his own sake, avoided something that may anger him. Its kinda like how when you make someone mad they may give you the silent treatment. That is technically what Mr. Hagerman is doing to the United States news. This action takes someone who is really into the news and pays attention to it daily and is intrigued by it.
I wouldn’t consider doing this due to the fact that I don’t pay much attention to the news and I struggle to find it entertaining to even turn it on. Politics don’t make sense to me, so why would I protest?
Living the extremely polarizing and rating hungry culture that we do, this idea doesn’t seem very outlandish to me. From Fox to MSNBC, every single channel you go to seems to be reporting on all the shock value topics pulling in as many viewers as they can. In this day and age it seems like news in some ways has fallen to the level of reality TV, looking for anything shocking to pull viewers in. I would consider something like this, though maybe not to the extremes Mr. Hagerman took. I could definitely live without the hundreds of stories pertaining to trump and his childish antics. I would feel a lot better seeing less coverage of so many tragedies. If I were to do this “news blockade” I would first find the most reputable and unbiased news source available to me. Once I figured that out I would allow myself an hour a day to take in as much news as I feel is necessary and then continue on. A life that isn’t dictated by the news would be a much more calm and peaceful one.
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I think do not think that Mr. Hagerman’s “blockade” is worthy undertaking. It is understandable as to why Mr. Hagerman is upset, but that doesn’t mean he should isolate himself from America.
I want to say no, but I’m sure the only reason is because I don’t want to think of myself as a bad citizen.
According to the article, Mr. Hagerman decided to ignore all US new after President Trump won the 2016 campaign. Although I don’t thinking blocking all news from your life is a great response to hearing bad news, I don’t think he is a bad citizen for doing it.
With the last presidential campaign, there was a TON of controversy. From Hillary’s emails to Trump’s sexual harassment accusations, so I don’t blame Hagerman for being a little overwhelmed with all the lack of uplifting news. Most people think that to be a good citizen you have to be completely connected with all news at all times, but having a clear view of what’s happening in our country does not detach you from all other citizenship roles.
Although it does make you a better citizen to be informed, it doesn’t make you a bad one.
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I think that Mr. Hagerman's "Blockade" is both irresponsible and immature because a person should not completely ignore the current events of society and make themselves clueless as to what is going on in the news. There are so many horrific events that are going on in society, and it is our job as American citizens to reach out to those who are affected by these events. Therefore, if a person is unaware of what is going on around the world, they won't know who to help or why. In "The Man Who Knew Too Little," Sam Dolnick writes of Mr. Hagerman, "It was just going to be for a few days. But he is now more than a year into knowing almost nothing about American politics. He has managed to become shockingly uniformed during one of the most eventful chapters in modern American history." Mr. Hagerman exemplifies the phrase "taking your ball and going home," which tends to be the reasoning of a child. Mr. Hagerman's actions, which are a reaction to the recent presidential, make him oblivious to the current events of society and those who are in need of assistance across the country. In conclusion, Mr. Hagerman's "Blockade" was childish and unnecessary because it blinded him from the crucial events that happened within the past year.
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When we don’t keep up with the news, I don’t think we become bad citizens. Sure, maybe we don’t about current events, but sometimes, the news can hold us back when we hear something we don’t want to hear. The more you read the news, which is usually all bad news, you may hesitate, for example, if you hear about numerous shootings. If you do read the news, that’s great, you have a better sense of what is happening around you, but again, when you hear something you wish you didn’t hear on the news, that can hold you back. Engaging with current events can keep you up with what’s happening that may affect you, but it is not your obligation to do so.
I would never consider doing something similar to what Mr. Hagerman did because I believe that being informed on what is going on is extremely important. Without knowing what is happening in the world, our nation could become politically apathetic, which is potentially catastrophic. Even though not knowing that one’s security could be at risk might lend some comfort, it is simply not responsible to intentionally not read the news. For example, not knowing that there are severe tensions with North Korea could make one feel more safe, but it wouldn’t help to not know if something disastrous did happen.
No, we are not being bad citizens if we do not read the news. Reading the news allows to be aware of what is going on in the world, but many times it does effect us directly. If you never know what is going on then you will realize how little these things can effect you. If you did not pay attention to the news during or after the presidential election and you had no idea who the president was, then you would realize how it doesn’t matter to you unless you make it matter. This man has not read the news in over a year and he is still able to live his life without any outside events effecting his life. In colclusion, events you hear about in the news do not efeect you but just make you think they do, and when you don’t even know about them, you realize how you really don’t need to know.
Mr. Hagerman ignored the news for more than a year. I would consider blocking out the news, but for not nearly as long. I would do this is because most of the news today are horrible events. I think I would find some peace by ignoring these negative things going on in our world. On the other hand, it would be tempting to look at what is going on.
What do you think of Mr. Hagerman’s “Blockade” on the news? Is it a worthy undertaking? Or is it irresponsible? Why do you think so?
I believe that Mr. Hagerman’s ‘blockade’ on the news was a worthy undertaking given his situation. The news is a paid-for service that Americans can choose if they want, and by not reading it, he’s not disturbing anybody or doing anything that disbenefits anybody else in any way. Once, I went to Wisconsin with my dad over a weekend, but my brother had sport practices so he couldn’t come with. When I got home, he didn’t ask about it or anything, but that didn’t bother me at all. Just because people want to choose to block out things that they don’t want to learn or just ignore shouldn’t mean they’re irresponsible, it’s just their decision.
I would never consider doing something as extreme as the subject of this article because, while it is an interesting and probably in some ways, a healthy response to the overwhelming news we recieve, it is extreme and leads to redundancy and ignorance. If we don’t read the news, we cannot be functional members of society and we cannot even converse with peers. If we shut out the news, we are closing ourselves off from society and, as Americans, we are losing our ability to participate in the way our country is run. Lastly, if we shut out the news, we get lost in a period of time with no progress and we can no longer consume information that would make us feel passionate or angry and cause us to want to be the change we want to see.
Personally, I have never reacted this strongly to a certain piece of news. I am amazed that someone would want to “take a break” from the news and then follow through with it. Mr. Hagerman’s decision is his own and I respect it, yet I have so many questions. I feel as though the story of Mr. Hagerman has made me want to start paying closer attention to the news. This is because after hearing the story of Mr. Hagerman I reflected on my own relationship with the news and have decided I would like to improve that starting by paying a closer attention to the news.
Once Mr. hagerman decided to make this decision to not listen to the news, he was being irresponsible and giving up his duties of being a United States citizen. When Mr. Hagerman became devastated by the news of trump, instead doing something to prevent this happening again, he decided to sit back and do nothing, as if the whole situation was fine. If he disagreed this much with trump, then he should’ve taken some action before he was elected, and even after. By not listening to the news, Mr. Hagerman is not doing his duty of being a citizen and was in no way helping his situation that he was so distressed about.
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I believe that Mr. Hagerman’s decision to ignore all news was highly irresponsible and silly. As citizens of the United States, we are supposed to know what is going on in the world, and help our government dea, with problems. Our government was created so we the citizens could interact and change what we wanted, but if we don’t know what is going on the government could take over. Also, if we don’t pay attention to news, we can miss major events that could threaten our life. For example, there could be a mass shooting or a war that we have to fight in, but we would have no idea that these events were happening. Overall, I think that Mr. Hagerman’s choice to ignore the news was childish because he would miss life threatening events.
We are not bad citizens if we don’t keep up with the news. I also don’t think we’re good citizens if we don’t keep up to date with current events. I believe that it is your choice whether you want to keep up with the news or not. I believe engaging with current news is good for you. You can participate in healthy conversations with other people, while not sounding like a complete idiot. I believe this because I know people who do not follow the news, and I also know people who follow the news. I wouldn’t say there is any issue with choosing to know and disregard the news.
I would not consider doing something similar to what Mr. Hagerman did for many reasons. One reason is that I would not know when someone in the political world is taking advantage of me. I believe it is very important to know when someone is taking advantage of you because one, it’s not right and two, I would want to know if I’m allowing someone to take advantage of me.
Finally reason that is important to keep up with the new is that there is safety in numbers. If nobody were to ever listen to the news then nobody would ever hear other people who are being miss treated stories.
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I would not consider doing something similar because our country has put a lot of work into making this a government for the people and by not reading the news were are disregarding all of this hard work because without being properly informed we cannot make educated and responsible decisions for our country. The news can also effect you personally and your safety. You need to be able to be prepared for any situation that could cause effect your safety.
I would decide to do something similar to this. I wouldn’t stop reading the new for an entire year but, I would take a break from all the drama and news in the world. Sometimes I want to hear about how North Korea is gonna nuke us and then a nuclear war is gonna break out. But, I sometimes don’t care. I’ve done it before where I haven’t read the news for a week. It was actually nice to not know that I might die tomorrow from a nuclear missile. In the end if or when I do this again and take a break from all the news I’ll see how the world has changed from when I looked at it last.
I feel as though not reading the news is a worthy undertaking. It allows you to take a step back and look at life without the constant stress and pressure caused by these everyday events. When you don’t know about certain things happening in the world, you think of life in different ways. Without teh influence of news on your life, you would be able to live life with a mindset geared more towards enjoying it instead of constant worry about the world around you.
I also think that not reading the news could be irresponsible because of the lack of an impact your an have on the world. If you dont know what is happening, you cant casue changes for the better and cant help with the progression of society. Without knowledge of the world around you, you wouldn’t fully understand life and would only know what is happening in your life. You wouldn’t be able to appreciate the things you have because you wouldn’t know that there are people elsewhere suffering. You would become a self centered person who is cut off from the rest of the world, and that isnt helpful for yourself of society.
In my opinion, not staying informed on current news makes you a bad citizen. I believe this because I think it is a citizen’s duty to vote. In order to vote in the best way you can, you must be informed, at least about American politics. I don’t think you necessarily have to keep up with sports news or international politics not involving the US to be a good citizen.
I believe that it is perfect okay and acceptable to shy away from the news. It does not make us “bad citizens” to simply not want to overstress your life with very negative and frustrating news posts. Although, I do believe that we can be more effective and maybe even “better” citizens by reading the news. Our job as citizens is to stand up for what is right and protest what is unjust. We cannot protest if we do not know what to protest against. For example, if you never knew about all of the mass shootings occurring around our nation is schools, you would not have the chance to protest, walk-out, or share your beliefs. You would be silencing your fundamental right of free speech. I am not saying that you have to protest for what you believe in or you are a bad citizen if you don’t, although it would make you a better citizen.
I would definitely consider doing something like this. A task like this completely blocks out all of the bad in our world from your mind. Yes, there are good things on the news too, but living a simple life where you aren’t informed of all the bad that the world has to offer is good enough for me. It seems like most of the stuff that reaches the news is about politics. Nowadays it’s always criticism over our president and it just frustrates me to hear about all the shenanigans he pulls. Blocking all that out would be no problem for me. However, I do agree that it is important to hear about controversial topics so we can pick a side and fight for what we believe. Still, blocking out all that would be refreshing and stress free.
I think it is impressive that someone was able to disconnect themselves from society. Nowadays people are glued to their phones and we learn so much about society through our devices. I think it’s partly irresponsible because as American citizens we hav e the duty to vote, and by not having any information about politics we cant make a responsible and reasonable choice. However, this could be worthy of undertaking because it doesn’t affect anyone else, its only affecting himself either in a good way or bad way.
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Would you consider doing something similar, why or why not?
I would actually consider doing this. The reason why I would do this is to experiment how it affected my life and would I be able to live without hearing the news. I would see if it lowers the quality of my conversations with others, and how my daily life takes place. One reason why this might be bad is if something happens, like the recent school shootings, and students do walk-outs, I would have no idea why. One reason why this is good is because news is so negative nowadays and I don’t even know if I can trust my new networks. The reason why I would separate myself from all new sources is to see how it affected my life.
Prequel is my side I live for.
As a person who regularly keeps up with the news, wether that is current events or sports, I think the task of not focusing on the news would be very difficult for me. However I would be willing to undertake the challenge. But today as our world becomes ever more digitalized it may be nearly impossible. News is everywhere, on social media, shared though alerts, on TV, and spread by word of mouth. It wouldn’t be as simple as just to unsubscribe from the newspaper company. That may have worked 50 years ago. I feel like in order to fully avoid news you would have to live in isolation. Which I could never do!
I wouldn’t ever do something like this unless it’s for a tragic reason. Just because someone I didn’t like won the presidency, I’m not gonna get mad at my country and shun it. Get involved. If I hear something tragic like what happened at Parkland or Sandy Hook then yes that’s a really good reason because it shows the actual, horrible things that are happening in our society that can actually make your heart ache. Hearing about young children getting shot dead with their whole lives ahead of them is something that’ll make me get the remote and turn off the T.V. Just because you don’t like Trump for whatever reason, you shouldn’t be disgusted in your country. That is not the worst thing that could happen to you. What have you accomplished? What has Trump dome that’s so horrible to you? There are worse reasons that someone could have in order to do something like this for but the one that this person gave is kind of ridiculous. No offense of course.
I think that it is not something good to do. In our life today everything is connected and you can see what’s going on in different parts of the world by pressing a button. It is important for us to be educated and know what is going on in the world, so we can make good decisions in our government and in our life. Just because you don’t like the outcome of something doesn’t mean you can stop be an active citizen. Also, life is full of choices and things that can go, or don’t go your way. Just because something gets you down, doesn’t mean you have to stop doing that.
I would consider doing something similar to Mr. Hagerman because I think it is important to focus on yourself and learn more about who you are before you can learn and truly understand what is happening in the world around you. By boycotting the news, Mr. Hagerman is giving himself time to just realize the events and news happening in his own life. Once he is ready and returns to being a more informed citizen, I think Mr. Hagerman will be more thoughtful and able to comprehend and what is happening in the world around him. With this new insight, I think Mr. Hagerman is doing the right thing for himself, which is what he must do before he can do the right thing for others. This is why I would consider do something similar to Mr. Hagerman’s experiment.
Every morning during breakfast, I pull out my iPad and read the news. I dont know why, my parents never told me to, but I feel that I have a responsibility to learn about what is going on around me, wether it’s local, national, or international. I don’t know if I could consider doing something similar to Mr. Hagerman. I suppose I could do so for a few days or a week, like he intended to. However, not making myself aware of what is happening in the world, would make me feel in the dark. The news is a critical part of learning about events, people, discoveries, and so much more. Knowing that I could obtain certain information at any time, information that could interest me and make me want to spark change, but not, would be horrible. Sometimes, I just read it to feel informed, to let myself know that I am being mindful of others. So, I guess this all means that, no, I don’t think I could do what Mr. Hangerman did.
I feel as if we are most definitely being bad citizens if we don’t keep up with the news. Everyday, events take place across the counntry. Although the stories in the news may not involve us, it could be involve others around us. Not paying attention to the news may be considered ignorant as well as selfish. In a world where the media can affect so many people, we must pay attention to the news. The news may be scary to watch or read but it is important to us because it helps us fix our mistakes and helps us understand society better. All people should have some short of responsibility of paying attention to the news. This year has been one of the most eventful in american history and we must understand what is going in the outside world, because it helps us understand others.
I don’t think that keeping up with the news all of the time is necessary for being a good citizen. Many things we hear on the news do not affect us, and may only have short term consequences. Although much of what we see may be unimportant, we should still keep up worldly matters and things that could impact us in the long run. Especially these days, news can stand as a distraction from other important matters that we should pay attention to. If we constantly look at the news and see things that we don’t like, why should we continue to bring these unnecessary burdens upon ourselves?
The simple answer is yes, if you don’t keep up with the news then you are a bad citizen. When you isolate yourself from you own country you shouldn’t be considered a citizen. Everyone should know what is going on in the nation because it’s their nation. When you don’t know whats happening then it’s the same as not caring for you country.
We are lucky enough to live in a nation that is intended to be run by the people, for the people. Staying informed about events in our nation and around the world is the only way we can ensure that we learn from our mistakes as well as the mistakes of others, and adapt to prevent future mishaps. There's no shame in not knowing every detail of every story. When we read the news, we should look at the big picture. How will this event affect our nation? How will this event affect the world? By never opening our eyes to the reality of the world we live in, we can never improve it.
The classic American morning, we wake up, make ourselves a cup of coffee and unfold the newspaper to take a look at sports news, a little politics, and the funnies. If only news today were still like that, the dark scary parts we can skip over while still getting our daily dose of what's going on in our nation. Nowadays I find my parents in the morning, still coffee in one hand, but they grab the remote and turn TV off, half turning away from what death or hate crime that might be displayed that morning. So no, we are not bad citizens by trying to keep positive, and I'm sorry that Erik from the article had to begin his journey with news in such a negative way. It feels as if the only way to get involved and make a change is to know what's going on, and yes that does make you a good citizen. But, turning your head away from all the hate as a way to not ruin your day does not make you a bad one either.
I want to say “yes,” because staying informed definitely makes you a more effective citizen- and yet, I can’t really blame Hagerman for blocking out news. I try to keep up with the news, I really do, but I feel like the quality of our news has been lacking. When I visit a news site, half the time I’m expecting a story about some inappropriate tweet from Trump, and the other half of the time I’m expecting to hear about a new celebrity couple. With headlines like these, I find it almost impossible to care about keeping informed. To be fair, there are a lot of useful stories you can find, and definately a lot of great sources. So once I find my sources, I spend a few minutes looking at an article, and I soon realize that this story is really just slamming members of the opposite party. Finding a non-biased news site with decent stories is not always easy, and the process can really make keeping up with the news more of chore; so I don’t fault people who choose not to stay informed with the news.
For the past year or so, we have recieved bad news on the daily, so I understand why Mr. Hagerman would want to take a break from the news. However, I could never be totally uninformed for more than a year. There are people currently running our government and have control over the future of this country, so why wouldn’t you want to know what changes are happening in our government everyday? As the article says, Mr. Hagerman has the luxury of not having to worry about the constant changes our government is trying to make, but for those of us whose future depends on these changes, being informed in any way, shape, or form is vital.
I think it’s perfectly fine to not want to keep up with the news or current events. This shouldn’t determine whether someone is a good citizen or not. However, it is true that it could be dangerous if many people did not keep up with what’s happening in the world. We can’t allow ourselves to be led blindfolded. But in my opinion, if someone chooses to remain ignorant to current events and issues then that doesn’t necessarily make them a bad citizen. There are plenty of other things that they can do to contribute to society rather than watch or read the news and weigh in on what’s happening. But, I think that if a large amount of people did this it would be dangerous. In some capacity, everyone should be socially aware, but that shouldn’t determine if they are good or bad.
Being uninformed and ignorant is the worst a citizen can do for their country. Keeping themselves from hearing of the tragedies and the political mess in the United States may provide some sanity to them. But their role as a citizen is completely diminished. Take for example the kids walking out to advocate for stricter gun laws. Even though they are kids, they are being better citizens than Mr.Hagerman because they have been paying attention to the news and chose to use their rights to do something about it. Being a citizen means being part of the country. Mr. Hagerman's lack of knowledge on current events prevents him from voicing his opinion and being part of the conversation. His voice can contribute to improving the future of the United States. All citizens have some responsibility to know what is going on in the country that they are living in because in one way or another it impacts them, or will impact them.
Dictionary.com defines a citizen as, "a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection": an individual who is under the protection of a government. The distinction between a "citizen", and a "good citizen" is that the good citizen will do all in their ability to protect the government which protects them: a mutual relationship between the citizen and the government. This ideal isn't too far fetched, especially considering that the differentiating factor between a "friend" and a "good/best friend" may be structured very similarly to the aforementioned relationship.
The rather open-ended question that this symbiotic relationship begs is, "how can one person protect a government?" The answer, based on hundreds of years refining the democracy that we live in, is education. Staying informed has been a top priority of the United States, and Uncle Sam's government since the conception of the Continental Congress. With the expansion of our nation came a requirement in the Land Ordinance of 1785 that one school be built in each and every township in order to form a more educated, level-headed future. Today, now that the schools have been situated, it falls more heavily on individuals to stay enlightened and knowledgeable about their government. Our nation's cycle of refinement has served us well thus far. Staying informed just ensures our success and our progress: Listen. Learn. Speak. Progress. Repeat.
Mr. Hagerman's experiment is certainly odd, yet somehow its existence doesn't surprise me. 2016's election proved to be ridiculously heated and controversial, with hard feelings bound to occur on both sides of the fight. And with the election of Donald Trump, arguably the more contentious candidate, the reaction of the left was unhappy, to say the least. This led to several early anti-Trump charged movements, such as the "NotMyPresident" hashtag or the many declarations of migration into Canada. Since it's been a year from his oath-taking, one might think that the reactions would've died out. However, Hagerman shows that many are still very much dissatisfied and protesting in silence.
It seems that Hagerman manages to live a life completely shut off from society, a life that requires almost a ridiculous amount of work. Whether it's the white noise earbuds in the coffee shop or the friend scolding, he takes every precaution to uphold the mentality he set upon himself. But to be completely honest, while I certainly respect and admire his efforts of protest, I find his actions to be quite frivolous and borderline irresponsible. While it is in your every right as an American to absorb what you wish, news or not, I see it as a civic duty to maintain an understanding of current events. Otherwise, you can't truly be an active and fully contributing citizen. Indeed I also fail to understand how this accomplishes anything, other than fulfilling himself by means of ignorance.
One of the events that evoked such a strong response from me was the Florida shooting. Since then, every school shooting that makes front pages and blasts across screens has caught my attention and consumed me. This isn’t to say that shootings such as Sandy Hook didn’t affect me. This is to say that now, I understand. Now, I know the value of media and newspapers.
When I was younger, I never really liked the news. I flicked it off whenever my parents left it on, leaving local news behind in favor of Nickelodeon. Stories haunted me, of course, but they never ate up my thoughts. Now, I watch the news with intensity. Now, I watch the news, yes, a little out of fear, but more because I know that the world around me is bigger than I know, and to not understand is akin to not respecting the millions of people who surround me.
So, yes. People have a responsibility to educate themselves. This means checking sources. This means gravitating towards channels that are more bipartisan (though this is sometimes hard to find, it is imperative to read things from multiple perspectives). This means listening to voices that are not your own, because there are voices out there that are very much NOT your own.
When someone puts themselves in a bubble and ignores the world’s problems they are a bad citizen. When they put themselves in a bubble they do not have to hear about everything terrible that is going on in the news, but they also do not hear all the opportunities to help people. They miss the marches and the fundraisers. They miss the opportunity to make themselves an educated voter who will pick candidates that will help the most people. They miss the opportunities to help others.
Also if a person ignores everything that they do not like they will never be able to grow as a person. Learning how to deal with the news is part of growing up and choosing to ignore it completely will never prepare someone for adulthood.
Of course the opposite of this which would be someone letting current events take over their whole life is not healthy either. Not watching the news for one day or even a week is okay. There is a difference between putting yourself in a little bubble and taking short breaks from the news for the sake of your mental health.
Being a good citizen means listening for ways to help others. It means listening to find out which politicians are doing the most to help people. Being a good citizen is paying attention to the news even when you are not the one being directly affected by it.
A person can not live forever in denial. Choosing ignorance is choosing not to be informed voter. It is choosing not to listen for ways to help others. It is being a bad citizen.
Mr. Hagerman's "Blockade" on the news is a careless and irresponsible decision. By choosing to "block out" current news and information, Hagerman "turns [himself] to dust", as mentioned in the article. He lacks the strong stance on modern issues that are needed to become an effective citizen. As citizens, our reaction to news media reflects our moral values and political/economic/social ideals. We justly act upon current events by voting at the polls or supporting certain organizations. More importantly, what we see in the news is most likely to affect the people we love, like our family and friends. As Desmond Tutu once said, "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor". Citizens who shut out society hurt others with their ignorance. Of course, during times of trauma and conflict, we may need a break to mentally heal ourselves. However, this break should not be permanent; we must be willing to acquire knowledge and consider others' perspectives for a greater change.
After reading the article I feel what Mr. Hagerman is trying to do is noble only that he goes about it in the complete wrong way. Now people are entitled to their opinions and when they don’t agree with something they can voice their opinion through various forms of activism. His attempt to hide himself away makes me think he is just in denial and that as long as he continues to deny Trump’s presidency he only succeeds in fooling himself. By this I mean that him choosing to become a hermit of sorts in the country is counter-productive because he feels that if he can’t hear about it or see it then it didn’t happen. Mr. Hagerman states that “I’m emotionally healthier than I’ve ever felt,” he said — has made him question the very value of being fed each day by the media.” I could understand him wanting to reduce his stress but that is the only legitimate reason he has to boycott all news regarding the U.S. His other reasons seem more cowardly to me because he is choosing to run rather than becoming an activist which would allow him to fight and protect his political views and make sure they don’t get stomped out by the new president.
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At the beginning of this article, I expected to read about a man that stays away from the news because he prefers not to take part in politics. Though after reading through the article, I was surprised to discover Erik Hagerman's dedication and various methods for taking a break from politics and other news. I admire Mr. Hagerman's dedication to ignoring the news, however, his methods seem a bit extreme. I understand Mr. Hagerman's wish to stay away from the craziness of American politics, but I do not believe he should continue his extreme measures. He may not want to watch the news or read the paper, but to restrict his friends and family from having a conversation, unless they adhere to strict guidelines, is ridiculous. To listen to white noise while in the coffee shop to ensure he doesn't hear about politics is extream. Mr. Hagerman may not want to take part in the news, but micromanaging what he unintentionally hears and sees is no way to live. He doesn't have to know everything, but basic knowledge and being educated on simple things happening in the country should be known. Mr. Hangerman can continue his rituals that exclude the news, but in my opinion, he should not go to such extremes to prevent information from slipping to him.
Do I believe that a person needs to be kept up with the news to be a good citizen? Well it depends on what you consider a good citizen to be, personally, I believe that a good citizen is anyone who is a function member of society, to be a good citizen I do not believe that you have to commit any charitable acts, or do anything above and beyond in your community. All I believe you have to do to be a good citizen is to simply exist in your community and not take away from the overall goodness of it. I do not think we as a society should start calling people "bad citizens" for not keeping up with the news or being an exemplary figure in their community because while it is great to do all of these things, some people just can't do all of these things that make us "good citizens". Some people have to work long hours and multiple jobs to provide for their families and simply don't have the time to keep up with the news which is fine, and while I don't believe it is necessary for people to keep up with current affairs to maintain the status of a good citizen I do think it is very beneficial to people to keep up with the news because we can learn from the actions of others and what is going on in our nation.
I wouldn't say that someone is a bad citizen if they do not keep up with the news. I think that it is not wise though. It is very important to keep up with the news, you need to know what is going on around you and your nation. If Mr. Hagerman is avoiding the news since 2016, that means he knows nothing about North Korea's dealings with the U.S, or anything about school shootings, does he even know his local news?
Mr. Hagerman's protest was a strange one. Avoiding the news is not effecting anyone else but himself. Mr. Hagerman was only preventing his own learning, instead, if he has something to say, he should say it and let his opinion be known.
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Mr. Hagerman´s blockade might have been a stretch for the amount of time spent away from the news, but I also think that you don´t need to keep up with the news daily. I think that you should look at important news that is affecting the country, and world. Not news about celebrities being spotted eating Mcdonalds.
In my opinion Mr. Hagerman is taking the 2016 election way to far. I understand being upset about your candidate not winning, and I would also understand if he had followed through with his original plan of only protesting a few days; however a year is unbelievable. The media is used for more than just government news, granted the media does seem to focus on that subject quiet often, even then he could just turn the channel if he is watching the news on TV, whenever a political subject appears. I feel that it is kind of our responsibility as citizens of the United States to be up to date on Americas news along with global news, global warming for example, if people are up to date on the current issues, they could do their part to help solve these issues. Therefore, Mr. Hagerman should stop his,"silent protest," and become more aware of what's going on in the world.
Citizens by definition are people who live in a certain area. They don't have to be actively supportive in everything... such as watching the news, or keeping up with it. In fact, the news is meant for those who want to read it, watch it, or listen to it. It's an easier way of people knowing what's going on in their town, state, or country. However, there is a downside to news: the news can be real, or in some cases fake- and that itself is another whole discussion. Maybe that's why Mr. Hagerman blocked the news, because he really doesn't know what's real news or fake news anymore. But most importantly, he has expressed his opinion and I think everyone should value that.
I honestly don't follow the news myself, because it's nothing interesting it's all negative. So therefore I understand and or relate to Erick Hagerman and not following up on news.
From past experience, I have noticed that our society contains a lot of information. Importing and Exporting the details through the news seems like a big component of our lives. For me being a student, I feel like we should at least know a little of what's going on in today's life. Knowing this information can increase discussion with friends, classmates, and family members. Another thing is for adults to pay attention to the news as it may have a impact on the decisions or actions you choose. “ I had been paying attention to the news for decades, and I never did anything with it,” Mr.Hagerman stated. This statement has a lot of meaning, due to us never fixing or making better decisions due to the news. Or the fact that we have to listen to the same news for days and days. I am not saying that we shouldn’t pay attention but I understand why people don’t. I have heard many people saying they gave up watching the news and won't pay attention. Blocking it out is not gonna resolve our issues instead we need to come up with a way to focus just on the very important stuff. People need to expand their methods for watching the news and taking actions when needed, while staying a good citizen.
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Being in high school, I can relate to the feeling of wanted to stay away from the drama that I don't understand or approve of. But I think that totally ignoring everything that's going on around you, and in your government, is a bit to much. It is important to know whats going on around, so you can prepare yourself for what might come. On top of it all, just because he doesn't support the leader of the country, doesn't mean that he should avoid everything that's going on within his country, making him a bad citizen because he isn't supporting or having any concern for his country.
being a bad citizen is not providing for the greater good of a country. the news doesn't decide how good a country is so knowing the news shouldn't dictate how good a person is. if someone starts a business that explodes into something big and helpful for America, helping its functionality and economy would them not knowing the news just undo all of that? should the news be able to dictate how good of a person is? i don't think so, letting this become a popular belief just doesn't help. and this is to assume that all news is right. if someone watches news that is unreliable and made by a single person who does no research, does that make them a citizen? or does the simple fact that if you watch the "popular news" and just go with the popular decision people will see you as someone who fits in and that is what makes you a citizen? just fitting in by watching what everyone else watches doesn't make you a citizen. saying not watching the news makes you a bad citizen is false and shouldn't be dictating how you are viewed either as a citizen or not. news is news, and news can be faked and lied about knowing lies and scandals doesn't make you a citizen. knowing what famous couple broke up and what Donald Trump said about whatever country doesn't matter to citizenship. people can care about it but it shouldn't be dictation citizenship.
In my own personal opinion, i believe Mr. Hagerman had his right to make the decision of blocking out the news from his life. To be fair, I agree that the comments Trump has made towards his citizens was severely uncalled for and he should be united us together not breaking us apart. I have been avoiding the news and anything related to Trump as well because i honestly just cant put up with his absurd lies and inability to accept anybody who doesn't fit his representation of a white American. We are not bad citizens just because we don't keep up with the media, we don't have to know about everything to make other people happy. Yeah you could know about every single current event but is us just kn owing about it really going to make a difference? Are you going to stop everything that is going wrong? Either way we can't do anything about the world around us. I fully support this mans decision to cut off the media because of the way the world is.
In all honesty, I think what Mr.Hagerman is doing is not remotely odd or disrespectful. I mean, I don't necessarily care about the political nonsense. it makes sense that he doesnt want to deal with the political drama.
I think that Mr. Hagerman's is being over-dramatic. By saying that he "swore that he would avoid learning about anything that happened to America" after when President Trump got elected, I think that's ridiculous and a little over the top. I know I know about it being a part of his "silent protest", but that's taking it too far saying that he will avoid everything about what's going on in America. Just because your candidate didn't get elected for President, it doesn't mean that you should completely dis America. I also think that it's ridiculous that he doesn't know about "James Comey. Russia. Robert Mueller. Las Vegas. The travel ban." and "Parkland [school shooting]. Big Nuclear buttons". Even 10 year-olds know about that stuff. Over the years there have been presidents that have been elected that my parents didn't like at all. They didn't stop paying attention to the news. They didn't pout about it and swear to never learn about currents events. They just accepted it and moved on. But to do what Mr. Hagerman is doing? That kind of ridiculous. I get that it's his opinion and he gets to do whatever he wants and all, but doing what he's doing... that's taking it too far.
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In blatant honesty - I concur with what Mr. Hagerman is doing, to some degree.
"The Blockade" is rather extreme - however, it does have many pros, as it seems. Mr. Hagerman states that he feels happier now, that he doesn't keep up with/bury himself in politics. It no longer burdens him, and he feels it worth it, in the long run - even if it does get a little boring.
Perhaps I would consider doing something similar. Yes, it seems irrational at first - but, if it makes you happier/more at ease in the long run like Mr. Hagerman claims, why not give it a go?
Not keeping up with the news does not make you a bad citizen. It merely makes you more uninformed. Poor citizenship is not reflected by your knowledge of current events. Yes, engaging with the political world is very helpful, but is it necessary? No. You can get on just fine without doing so.
Mr. Hagerman seems to be doing fine, at least - he states that he enjoys doing art projects, going to a lake near his abode, and, visiting coffee shops/his family.
Why not give it a shot, if it really comes down to it?
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OK so I just wanted to reply to you Jacqueline Rose Behringer Because what you said it really stood out to me because I am 16 and I honestly don't keep up with the news like at all because I feel that I don't really have much say in politics at all because I am only 16 , I know that 18 is coming right up and then I will be able to vote soon but just because I am only 16 does that make me a bad citizen? ... No and I know that's not what you were saying at all I just want to see where you come from on that and I also feel what you said about him where he is doing just fine and living a life like the rest of us so I completely understand where you come from on like why do people attack this guy about not watching the news just because a president where I feel that's a little far fetched to me But I understand If someone doesn't watch the news right ? And why do people even care about it if most teens don't stay in the loop either I like what you said and I do agree with you 100% .
Part 1. Being distant from social media and politics does not make someone a bad citizen. Don't get me wrong, it’s great to be informed with current events going on around you to have sense of the world and society but it's not something that should represent who you are as a person or a citizen, in my opinion. Being completely distant from politics as he has been would seem difficult since nowadays it’s subliminally placed in music and arts.This leads me to the thought, people need a break from all of the energy society and politics drain from a person, constant worries arise because of current events. Events that could negatively affect their health, physically and mentally, their drive and motivation.
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Part 2. A bad citizen is one who is lazy and has no intentions to better their environment, to make the world we live in a safer and better place, minding your own business and being at peace with yourself does not make you a bad citizen.
Mr. Hagerman says he’d been following the news for many years but never did anything with it and I partly agree since people of my age read the news and react in the moment but later on disregard it. Unless it’s a topic in which they are passionate in or if it regards their future.
There are many ways to be a good citizen, by creating projects that could benefit the environment like Mr. Hagerman is doing with ‘The lake’. Recycling, cleaning the waterways, the beach,and parks just to name a few, all make a positive change for the world. Mr. Hagerman believes his contribution is of civic relevance as well as something he's passionate of, if that’s how a person feels towards contributing, i'm all for it and firmly believe there's nothing wrong with that.
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In my opinion, you could distance yourself in paragraph 4 like Erik Hagerman and still be a good citizen. However, if you do decide to take this route, you should break the cycle in order to be more informed about a new president or senator. You will be a bad citizen, however, if you vote without looking at what the candidate has to say.
If i'm being fairly honest, I applaud Mr. Hagerman. Is it responsible? No, not exactly. From the choice he's made, he isn't exactly a "good citizen" by American standards; seeing as though he isn't speaking out and making sure he is carrying out his civic duties. But can we really blame him?
This man survived through the constant news reports on Black children and adults wrongfully being killed by our own policemen on a monthly basis. He observed his TV screen helplessly as a bar in Florida was shot down by one hostile man simply because of the fact that it was meant for people who are attracted to the same sex. He lived in a America where he watched a grown man yell childishly about his personal 1st world problems, gloat to other men like him about how he takes pride in assaulting women, then proceed win the American presidency. The list goes on and on.
Erik Hagerman did something for himself; he ran away from the issue and stopped paying attention. This does make him selfish and irresponsible, but who acted wrongfully first? He saw the President being irresponsible with his power, the police being irresponsible with their guns, and the citizens being irresponsible with their rights. He saw America being reckless and impulsive, and he chose to no longer be a part of it.
Unlike everyone else's actions, this selfish act made him happier. So though I don't necessarily agree with him, I condone his abrasive choices. Cheers to a life in peaceful solitude!
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Mr. Hagerman has every right to consume the information he wants, or the lack thereof. However, I find that completely disengaging from current events is the easy way out. It’s easy to complain that the news is all ‘negative’ and that we need ‘good news’, but how can you ask this if that good news is just not happening? How can you ask this if you aren’t working for good news yourself?
I understand where he’s coming from; he wants to practice self-care, and we all have our own ways of doing this. Lately, I have tried to avoid seeking out and reacting to statements from Trump, especially on Twitter, and news from him that is not based in policy or law. I find that those comments are often inflammatory, dishonest, and not at all productive. Despite this, I’ll never ignore real news: discrimination, terrorism, inequality, poverty, violence, corruption. They’re not pleasant to read about, but these problems will never end unless we’re willing to have the conviction understand the issues that face this world and demand action.
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I believe not keeping up to the news actively is one thing, but what Mr. Hartman is doing is something different. Hes completely blocking the news, blocking his friends, and not having a family. Why? Because he doesn't want to hear about Trump.
Trump is our President, whether or not you wanted him, or even voted at all. There is a certain amount of respect you have to give him, whether or not you agree with his personality, politics, or even his twitter.
Being is bad citizen could be not voting, not reporting crimes, being an unlawful person, or even not doing the right thing. Keeping up with the news isn't something you are required to do, but being an informed voter is something you are expected to do.
If you don't vote then you have no right to complain about who became our President, what laws are passed, or how they affect you. Now I don't know if Mr. Hagerman voted or not and I expect he did as upset as he is after the election. But for me as a conservative I wasn't crazy about President Trump at first but as hes been elected I've become happier with him. He is someone that wants to keep him, his, money, and his people safe. And as scary a time as we are now with the tensions with North Korea, the frequent school shootings and other social issues (and no I don't think we need to wall off Mexico.). In short Mr. Hagerman is currently presenting himself as an inactive, unaware, and "bad" citizen. Hes not doing his part to make America Great (again).
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I think that Mr. Hagerman's news block is thoughtless and it shows easy resignation to the catastrophe surrounding us. Yes, Trump's victory was devastating, but it didn't make me want to flee. It made me want to stand up and resist. I don't think I could ever bring myself to block out all news. I prefer to be progressive and yearn for knowledge rather than being inert and apathetic. Donald Trump's presidency made me feel uneasy, but I never thought he would go as far as he did. I hadn't been invested in the news nearly as much as I am now, and seeing the events taking place, I know that I was not nearly as alarmed as I should've been.
When I heard about the school shooting on February 14, at first, I took a break from the media. But, that night I wrote down what I felt, and sure enough, I found myself staring at my soon-to-be-published New York Times comment. I do think that good citizens are well-informed. When people vote, they should know who exactly they're putting into office. I think that people should at least know what's happening in the world, and if they decide to do nothing about it, then that's their decision. Being a good citizen is not about being a democrat or a republican. It's about doing what's you think is right, and what you think will benefit the most people. Being a good citizen is about compromise, not having an all-or-nothing approach. Being a good citizen means knowing the problem at hand and acting (or not acting) to the best of your ability.
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We live in a society of information overload and news is one area that seems to get the most attention.As a high school student,it makes a lot of sense to understand what is happening around the US,to help prompt discussion in the classroom or at home. Adults should have a basic understanding of what is happening around the world, since it could impact decisions you make in your life.So,I feel all citizens should make an effort to keep up with the news. But,do we need to be inundated by TV,tweets, online articles, constantly, 24 hours per day?Do we need to be experts on every topic and hold a strong opinion on each one?No way!As Mr Hagerman said, “I had been paying attention to the news for decades, and I never did anything with it.”There is much truth in that statement,because we rarely make major personal decisions based on what you read or hear on the news.Plus,do we really need to keep hearing about the same issue over and over for days on end? But we should be aware of the issue. His Blockade of all news is a bit extreme,but I applaud him for his efforts. Instead of blockading the news, each person must develop their own way of getting the news they need.Our individual challenge is to determine the best source for news which meets our personal situation and develop the discipline to not partake in the 24 hour a day news frenzy.Develop your own method for getting the news,so that you can be a good citizen and be aware of the issues and take appropriate actions if needed.
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I first want to say that ¨The Blockade¨ Mr. Hagerman is doing, going as smoothly as it is, is surprising to me, knowing how American people rely on media to remind us how corrupt our country is. Hagerman not knowing what´s going on in the immediate political sphere doesn´t make him a bad citizen, it just makes him an ill-informed citizen. But the part that bothers me is the fact that he is willfully ignorant of the political climate and his reasoning behind the experiment is rash.
I get it, it does become overwhelming when every time you turn on the television another school shooting has happened and another Trump update pops up. Even after Trump was elected president, I stayed home the day after and it made me anxious to speak on my political views with anyone who expressed any like for Trump. But to ignore what directly affects me as a American citizen and my right to freely speak is irresponsible, the same way it´s irresponsible to not do chores, but still complain that you were never given your allowance.
A ¨good¨ and ¨bad¨ citizen can be portrayed through the story of the Little Red Hen, by J.P. Miller, good portrayed by the Hen, who made the bread by her own hard work and time and the bad by the other farm animals wanted to reap the benefits of the bread without lending a hand to make it. He should have channeled his negative energy for the presidential election into positive energy by exercising his right as an American to openly speak his beliefs and opinions.
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In this day in age, everybody needs to have time to themselves, without a constant overflow of information, just like Mr. Hagerman. Having time to think, even if it is just for a few minutes, is crucial to being well balanced. I applaud him for taking on such a large undertaking, and trying to look within himself to find satisfaction rather than at the tumultuous string of current events.
Although I do agree with you that a mental relaxation period is necessary to let off steam and build up of information, Mr. Hagerman took more than a couple of minutes to calm down. His full year of relaxation and extreme blockade from any political news leaves him vulnerable to politicians trying to win him over. Without any previous knowledge of the politician's deals and affairs, Mr. Hagerman could believe nearly anything the politician says. What Mr. Hagerman is doing is challenging but so is trying to eat frozen pizza, sometimes a challenge shouldn't be taken for the benefit of one's health, mentally or physically.
I do agree with the fact that relaxation is a necessity to let off steam. Political views should be forced onto which the person should able to hear every conceivable word the politician has to say. Being able to participate in a couple of the words the politician has to say may be affected. Mr. Hagerman does take his time to relax as you do say but i disagree with Frozen pizza analogy with the fact that frozen pizza is great! Mr. Hagerman may need to stop to take a break from the news and eat some frozen pizza and come back later.