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Don't believe the hype


Man upside down with his head covered

My next door neighbour’s a smashing bloke but he disbelieves almost everything that comes out of my mouth about the environment, and you know what, it’s not his fault and I’ll explain why.


Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course but one of the hottest current topics is how can opinion be formed from information sources that have never ever been so questionable.


It took nearly a hundred years to regulate the newspaper industry just before it’s decline due to the new digital world and its ability to deliver immediate and constant content from a gazillion different contributors every millisecond of the day globally. At no point in human history has there been such an information overload.


Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or maybe X as it’s currently called, YouTube, TikTok, Linkedin, Discord, Reddit, Threads.


We are literally bombarded every second of the day now by self-proclaimed experts and content creators and influencers.


Keto diets, Climate Crisis, house cleaning hacks, the Carnivore diet, climate change, intermittent fasting, the ULEZ, red wine, ultra-processed foods, meditation, sunlight, exercise, sleep patterns, breathwork, air pollution, covid, calorie deficits, coffee and conspiracy theories.


All types of self-proclaimed gurus now exist on social media, including me with my blogs and save the planet posts, and I generally enjoy most of it, especially the massive creativity and humour on TikTok. My greatest dislike, however, is how these platforms allow the likes of Tommy Robinson, Trump and Katie Hopkins spread their bile and hatred.


So how do we separate the real influencers, mindset changers and pure entertainment from the batshit fruitcakes that pepper our browsing time with negativity, lies, scepticism and bullshit?


Do you know what? I’m not in the slightest bit worried, because I believe in humanity. I wholly believe that most people are good and will make the right decisions if not at first but eventually. That’s how the general public always pick the most genuine people on I’m a Celebrity and also on a more historical note, how we outsmarted and outlived the dinosaurs.


I listened to Steven Bartlett talking to Chris Evans this week. Apart from being an extremely successful entrepreneur and a Dragon on the BBC he has a super successful podcast called the Diary of CEO which I love and follow avidly despite me being nothing like a CEO.

He said a brilliant thing which I’ll probably quote wrongly, but he thought the success of future generations would be linked to the ability to develop the mindset of change and lean into it reaping the opportunities and benefits it offers rather than dismissing change outrightly through fear of adoption or other negativity.

As much as I seek to change the story, change how we behave and change the world, my lovely neighbour will always be needed and quite absolutely right to ask the question why.


Story by Syntech Biofuel


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