Kanye West is taking a shot at Pete Davidson in a leaked version of his new song. https://t.co/VoVCakcWXL

— TMZ (@TMZ) January 17, 2022

Kanye West is upset because Pete Davidson is dating Kim Kardashian.

And I am upset that I know about that.

It’s none of my business. It’s none of your business. But looking at social media, it’s obvious that the whole show is a business—and we are the clients.

Many of us love to gossip. And I am part of that.

It’s much more comforting to read about the challenges of famous folks than about climate change. It’s much more enjoyable to laugh about a funky rapper than to look at the suffering caused by wars and poverty. And it’s far more entertaining to talk about failed relationships of celebrities than looking at our own sh*t.

But that doesn’t make it right—or wrong.

Our longing for shallow entertainment is nothing to be ashamed of. I enjoy watching sports and cartoons. I am no stranger to video games. Nobody is perfect. There is no need for perfection.

At the same time, I feel that we could care a bit more about things that really matter.

We all have our own struggles. This pandemic is challenging, but we shouldn’t forget that we didn’t get to enjoy a perfect world when this virus started changing our lives. It’s not our responsibility to solve every existing problem on this planet, but we could pay more attention to those who are trying.

I feel sorry for Kanye West. I really think he needs help. I don’t even want to laugh about his situation. It’s not funny. The same goes for Britney Spears and her family. Not to forget Meghan and Harry.

What makes it so enjoyable to hear these stories? Does it make us feel better about ourselves? Is it a distraction?

Again, there is nothing wrong with gossip. These stories could be a good starting point to think about our own actions, mental health, and ethics. And even if not, that’s okay too.

But if we have several hours per day to check the latest gossip, watch Netflix, and like 100 posts on Instagram, then we could also allow ourselves to spend just a few minutes on more important topics.

After discussing the fate of a rich athlete, we could talk about the situation of refugees around the world. After catching up on the Kardashians, we could think about reducing our impact on the environment. After watching hours of football, we could talk about Critical Race Theory for a few minutes.

My point is that we don’t need to turn into social justice warriors protesting and tweeting 24/7. We should also enjoy our lives. It’s all about balance.

Our media consumption is like eating food. There is a difference between so-called convenience food and healthy food. We get to choose what’s best for us. Let’s try to make the best choices possible without limiting our joy.

It’s possible—and it’s necessary.

Every time we click, share, or like an article, we actually support someone. And that someone might have spent hours to make a complex topic more understandable, so we don’t have to do that.

We don’t owe anything to any author, but our actions have consequences.

The almighty algorithms are watching. They are programmed to give us what we want. The quickest way to change the algorithms is to change our choices.

There is nothing wrong with light entertainment, but we also can’t eat chocolate all day.