I often start my weekend reading the weekend papers over a cup of black steaming coffee.
The ones that take a deeper look at the state of the nation and culture.
Not the tabloid type.
News and opinion.
Analysis of the world.
Not discovering it on a Facebook timeline.
These publications often include long form articles and in depth writing. They cover a wide range topics.
So….
They are like a box of chocolates.
I am often surprised.
Discovering subjects and topics that are often not in my circle of general interest.
They open up new worlds and areas of discussion and opinion that stretch my mind, excite my neurons and question my possible intolerances.
There are no algorithms used that only deliver what a social platform thinks I like, need or want.
Or feed my fears.
Facebook prioritizes what’s engaging.
But not what is necessarily true.
It is all about eyeballs and traffic.
Shares and likes.
45% of Americans got their news from Facebook last year.
I don’t trust Mark to deliver truth.
It’s a machine built to maximize profit.
It is not an altruistic platform.
That is why I don’t use Facebook to get my news
The echo chamber of a technology driven newsfeed is non existent in a earth bound print publication.
They might not be perfect. And there will be opinions.
But they are mostly fact checked.
Researched.
I like that.
I want to stumble into worlds that surprise, delight and inspire.
I don’t want to just read the information that is a reinforcement of my current thinking or possible prejudices.
I want my paradigms to be pushed, prodded and maybe broken.
To be presented with alternate points of view.
An open mind is where true learning happens.
True education is not more of the same but a consumption of new ideas that keeps you challenged.
Keeps you growing.
Evolving.
For the good.
That’s a world I want to live in.
Here’s to more weekends with a cup of coffee and a slow thoughtful read.
Without Mr Zuckerberg telling me what I should be consuming and viewing.