First world problems

Tekst: Inga Skogvold Rygg

As ISFiT 2013 comes to an end, it is time to pause and reflect upon the impact of the student activism. In a world where thousands are suffering in poverty and under dictatorships, it seems ridiculous that the main story of Norway's biggest newspapers is “How to lose those extra kilos”. But should the media take all the blame? When you read an article, it means you're interested in the topic. And when the media see what you are interested in, they write more about it. By this logic, we as consumers are more interested in Scarlett Johanssons butt than the conflict in Syria. Why do we care more about some celebrity's nude pictures than the tragic faith of millions of people?

The dream life

I believe part of the reason is the fact that Norwegians are so well-off. We complain about our student loan being too low – the student loan we get to support our free education. We complain about food prices being too high, when we've never spent a smaller part of our income on food. The average student's daily life consists of school, working out, sleeping, eating and partying. It's a life many people can only dream of. There is no doubt most students are hard-working, intelligent and caring people. But why can't we seem to care about the rest of the world?

Too much information

You would think it would be easier today. With the internet and sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, communication has never been easier. We can exchange all the information we can possibly process. That might be where the problem is. There is simply too much information for us to take in. The world seems to be a place of endless conflicts, wars and problems. The success stories are few and far between, the stories of horror and injustice are way more frequent. In a wealthy world where we are used to fast results, we feel like we have done enough if we like a page on Facebook, or sign our name on a list. At best, it's naive.

Raise awareness

Through events like ISFiT it is easier to find constructive ways to help. It is through increased awareness and communication that we can help each other build a world where we are aware of the problems of others, and also able to help each other. The goal has to be to integrate the rest of the world's problems into our own. What we need is not more money to the poor, but more attention. Attention to the people fighting to survive, to the people fighting for their freedom and happiness. Basic human rights, that we can help them achieve by talking. Loudly, so the world leaders can hear us. Often, so we do not forget. And most importantly: to each other, so we can understand.