PART 3 

Let’s talk about news and media 

How do people usually hear about the latest news?

Most people stay up-to-date on current affairs through either social media on their mobiles or prime-time news broadcasts on TV. The younger generation tends to favor the former and the older generation like my father likes the latter. Just last week I read the news about the COVID vaccine on a Facebook thread while my father got it from the Channel 6 news. 

What different types of news do people mostly follow?

Oh, okay, there are definitely a few different types, just let me gather my thoughts around this question, well. If I think of the newspaper pages, I can certainly think of business, economics, politics, sports, entertainment as well as lifestyle and not in the least these days, health. People all around the world are keeping a close eye on the COVID situation as well as its impacts on the global economy, travel an politics.  

Why do some people avoid learning about the news on a daily basis?

I believe that certain people intentionally either ignore or even dodge the latest news so that they can stay positive and focus their energy elsewhere. I mean about 80% of all news is very doom and gloom, so it makes people depressed and it can also eat up a lot of people’s time and energy. In fact, these days, when the topic of COVID comes up in my friendly discussions, we often choose to avoid this beaten horse and go onto another idea.  

How has the news changed in recent years? 

The news has certainly evolved in recent times both in its medium and content. As I had mentioned previously technological advancement, specifically the internet and mobiles have made the news much more available to people around the globe. As well, back in the 20^th century much of news focused on global crisis like the Cold War, and now the focus is on the viral pandemic. However, it has stayed relatively the same in the sense that the news is filled with negative content to keep people in a worrisome state. 

Let’s talk about positive thinking 

Do you think positive thinking has an effect on physical health? 

Absolutely, I strongly believe that a healthy mind helps to maintain a healthy body and vice versa. I meant that when a person is generally happy, they have (low) good blood pressure, and an efficient metabolism as opposed to a person who is often stressed and in danger of high blood pressure and all kinds of physical ailments. 

***If you catch yourself making a content or language mistake, correct yourself, “…what I mean is…” 

What are some ways that a person can maintain a positive attitude? Can you explain? 

Can you think of any examples of positive thinking leading to positive action?