Breaking the Exeter Bubble
By: CJ Smith
Looking around the world right now, it’s easy to see extremely pressing issues facing many different groups of people. Several countries, such as Myannmar and China, have pushed incredibly harsh autocratic rule on their citizens, censoring and jailing those who speak out, with the latter actively committing genocide against the Uiyghur Muslim population in its Xinjiang province. Kazakhstan has crushed peaceful protests advocating for a reversal of spiked fuel prices with one protester recalling the government police force shouting, “If you go out to protest again, we will kill you.” Let’s not forget the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where Afghan women live in fear of violence for simply going to school, and the ongoing famine and cholera epidemic in Yemen, where civil war has raged incessantly since 2014.
Since arriving at Exeter in the fall, I’ve heard no one discuss any of these catastrophes, or any other global events for that matter, save for a few op-eds relating to Myanmar, inequality in vaccine distribution, or the disastrous effect of COVID-19 on Vietnam. Most of the time, I feel as if I’m always the one initiating discussion on such topics, and even then, the conversation fizzles out because no one has enough information to discuss a) what’s happening, and b) their thoughts on possible solutions or policy responses that can address these problems. This lack of knowledge on current events contributes to the “Exeter Bubble.”
It can be easy for Exonians to sometimes focus on issues facing solely the Exeter community. After all, we do live on this campus for most of the year, and it is clear Exonians care a great deal about our community as demonstrated by student activism, Student Council, and other activities over the past few months focusing on the Academy’s sexual misconduct policies, anti-racist policies, vaccine mandates, and COVID-19 protocol. However, while it’s understandable that students would be interested in what’s going on at their school, many Exonians have shut themselves off from learning and discussing topics outside of Exeter. Instead of reading a variety of news sources, many students simply repost Instagram graphics and claim to support a particular side of an issue without actually knowing the details of the issues. One example of this was the infographics relating to the Yemeni Civil War, a conflict between the Saudi Arabian-backed Yemeni government against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, now continuing into its eighth year. Many reposted infographics relating to this humanitarian crisis in Yemen, but I wonder if anyone truly knew how the war started, who the major players were, or other geopolitical information relating to the conflict. Taking a mere five-minutes to repost and share someone else’s Instagram post does not do justice to these issues that are far more complex than any social media slideshow.
To be clear, this is not solely an Exeter problem. I have seen many people repost vague summaries of issues without knowing much about them and not making the effort to actually learn about such global events. However, the reason I believe Exonians should especially care about this problem is because of who Exonians are. Exonians are some of the brightest and most talented people I have ever met, and these are students who will be future leaders in every aspect of society. Yet, we can’t assist in what we don’t understand, and that is why it is so important for us to be informed about the world in which we live. Even if you don’t think you will have a career dealing with any of the issues I’ve listed, it still pays to stay informed about global events. Having the privilege of attending such a renowned institution means we should use our resources to educate ourselves on more than just what affects us. It helps us develop empathy for those beyond ourselves, and it primes us for a future of service and leadership.
So how do we break the Exeter Bubble? For starters, we need to change how and where we understand current events. Instead of using an Instagram post for information, a Wall Street Journal or New York Times article works much better. Plus, after reading a well-written article that better informs you, you may find a new issue that you’re curious or passionate about. Additionally, diversifying your news feed is also important. We have stigmatized certain sources to be “fake” or “too biased,” but we should remember that everything has bias. So, it’s important for us to read and learn about different opinions and then decide for ourselves where we stand on such issues. Most importantly, we should stay motivated to keep learning. While news travels fast and the sheer volume of it can sometimes feel intimidating, it’s better to be informed on some things than to be informed on nothing at all.
