You might look at this headline and think to yourself "I do care about foreign news," and that this is just another false assumption people have about the priorities of millennials. Maybe you really are up to date on Brexit and do know all about the latest fashion trends to come out of Paris and Milan. But could you even place on a map where countries like Djibouti, Moldova, and Bhutan are? And even if you could, why should you care about them if they never make the headlines of your morning news? Here are five simple reasons why it is not only essential for college students to be aware of foreign affairs but why it is rewarding to do so.
1. Keep yourself from becoming an "ugly American"
Today we are able to communicate with people all over the globe with unprecedented ease. From the Internet to social media, to even the basic phone call, we are now able to interact with people in countless new ways. But how many minutes of the day do you use your smartphone to catch up with what's happening in the world around you? Although we have the tools to learn about these things, many of us are not using them to educate ourselves about the world in which we live, and are becoming ignorant and ethnocentric "ugly Americans" as a result. Don't be that person. Be the person who actually has a grasp of the culture, history, and politics of countries all over the world. You'll gain interest and respect from people here in the States, and (more importantly) leave a much better impression on people abroad.
2. Become a better voter
The only thing worse than not voting is voting without understanding any of the issues. Since there is such a low general interest in foreign affairs, candidates can get away with making trivial comments and condensed foreign policy platforms. Watching the presidential debates can be painful when you get no straight answers. But politicians are not forced to express concrete plans because the general public doesn't demand it. The only way we can make this happen is if we demonstrate to them that we value foreign policy, and we can do this simply by reading foreign news regularly. After all, it isn't the president or the members of Congress who are deployed to other countries and put their lives on the line--it's young people like us. Use your vote to support the policies you truly believe in.
3. Foreign affairs can be funny
Foreign news is not always just pictures of tense world leaders shaking hands and faking smiles. Sometimes foreign news is just ridiculous! Remember when Obama had that painfully awkward handshake with the Canadian Prime Minister and Mexican President? Or the rumor about Donald Trump and Russian prostitutes on his visit? Let's not forget any time we are blessed with the picture of shirtless Putin straddling a horse. If you're not following the news, you'll probably miss these fun facts. You can impress your friends by being in the know, and also make them laugh at some awkward stories. Win-win.
4. International affairs affect all of us
The effects of some foreign policy decisions are obvious, such as going to war. It's easy to see how these decisions affect you and your daily life. But the intricacies of the relationships between the United States and the rest of the world are harder to grasp. It's easy to ignore the constant flood of bad news and justify it to yourself by thinking it's happening too far away to have consequence. It's important to remember that although it does sometimes take some time to feel the impact here in the US, the events that happen abroad do have real ramifications for us. It might be seeing gas prices increase as a result of disputes abroad, or limitations on where we can travel safely internationally as a result of the global terror crisis. Read up on your local news, but don't lose sight of the importance of international news.
5. It gives you perspective on your own country
When you're exclusively getting your news from US sources, it becomes a challenge to look beyond the often optimistic and patriotic view that America is the best country in the world. When you hear about the policies other countries have put in place, and research how the US actually ranks in a number of international surveys, there is no denying that we have ample room for improvement. We need to learn from mistakes that have been made and draw from experience when we move forward, in order to make the US a more fair and balanced nation. A nation we can be proud of.
I'm not saying that foreign news is always positive, enriching news that puts a smile on your face. Sometimes it's a real bummer to read about crises and tragedies around the world. But these things are happening, and we can't ignore their impact. Investing as little as five minutes a day skimming the international news section will make you more knowledgeable about world events than a large part of the population. And that's a noble goal that anyone with a WiFi connection can easily achieve.
