In this postmodern, digital age where information is at the tip of our fingers, humans are experiencing information overload. Even several decades ago, obtaining knowledge was exclusively a journey of searching in your public libraries and archives, or limited to higher education where only very few had the privilege of attending.
Curiosity was a baseline requirement for understanding anything more deeply because you had to actually make an effort to learn. Within the last several years, I have begun to worry for the future of academia and individuals who aspire to cosign their fate in this life. We are exchanging dopamine and tidbits of knowledge without the wisdom or experience to contextualize it within society.
That’s to say, we are all learning just enough to be easily manipulated into contextualizing the tidbits of information we are receiving into something entirely inaccurate or even potentially harmful. No wonder it is becoming increasingly difficult to have simple civil discourse about individual beliefs.
Personally, I need passion to commit myself to the monotonous and deflating routines of trying to balance school, work, and self-development. It is not easy to muster up the energy to implement everything I need to manage my time and energy efficiently.
Additionally, the guilt and shame of feeling as though I should be accomplishing more arises every time I open my phone to yet another 20 something year old millionaire trying to sell me the secrets to success—It’s exhausting! I am addicted to the vicious cycle of comparison, and I would argue that all of you reading this are too. We are in unprecedented times, and I have been living somewhere between weary
and inspired, trying to create space in my being for both while navigating the ever-fluid motion of life and everything else outside of my control.
Still, I cannot say all of this without celebrating that knowledge is accessible. For the first time in our history as a species, anyone
with access to a computer has the same ability to feed their curiosity, educate themselves on history that may have never become standardized, and increase our overall collective consciousness. Knowledge is no longer an idea that only some can access. If we cannot recognize that gift, we will continue to abuse it and desensitize ourselves to our own curiosity and passion.
So, are college students okay? What can be done to help? For immediate relief, you can take a big deep breath through your nose for 4-6 seconds and then exhale for 5-8 seconds, repeating as needed. This stimulates your vagus nerve, signaling your body to shift from “fight or
flight” into “rest and digest”. Practice being in your body and allowing your boredom to transform into presence. Allow whatever feelings arise to come up and try to hold space for them. We are wired to fear uncertainty; it kicks our brains into fight or flight because this is what kept those before us alive. I can’t speak for everyone’s experience, but I can find uncertainty anywhere if I look for it. With that being said, I know we all could benefit from spending some time being a little more intentional about the emotions that come up, and how we choose to
let that control our reaction.
Now take that tidbit of advice from a fellow unprofessional and sit with curiosity, boredom, your feelings, passion, that one time in 6th grade, the bangs you gave yourself at 2 in the morning when you should’ve been studying (we control what we can when things feel out of control, huh?), and commit to showing up for yourself anyway.