It's not surprising to see on Facebook or Twitter news feeds, articles from Buzzfeed.com, or HuffingtonPost.com and yes, the dailybeast.com.

And while these articles are fun to read, it becomes problematic when articles like these are the only things ever shared or discussed on social media.

Of course, college is a stressful time, with copious amounts of essays, problem sets, and assignments, we don't all exactly want to read an extra 20 pages of academic literature. The college bubble is very real, and it can be easy to forget that there is life after that horrendous project due next Thursday, or how intense finals week will be. But knowing what's going on in the world is important too.

Like the upcoming presidential elections. Have you seen the debates? What do the critics say? What do you really think about the candidates? Being educated in politics, even if it isn't your prime interest, is relevant to your future as a young adult. Links to more like Cnn.com, NewYorkTimes.com or, knowing about international economics, and how the currency fluctuates between countries could help finance how or where to study abroad. Even knowing about countries cultural and political dynamic could affect benefit what you would want out of studying in a different country. Links more like http://www.wsj.com. Furthermore, knowing about the societal problems in other countries can prompt you to take action with various non-profit organizations or charities. http://www.hrc.org/ and http://www.unfoundation.org/

So the next time you find yourself reading about pumpkin spice lattes or the 10 things "XY or Z" should do for the holidays...

Think, "What did I actually learn from that?" "Did I benefit from reading that?"

Think about how you can help people with the knowledge that you know, and the level of education that you have, in which only 7% of the population has. Because the privilege that you have can be valuable if you broaden your scope of knowledge, and become a more well-rounded individual.