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My Podcast

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Table of Contents

1. Preface

2. Main Article

Preface

September 11, 2001.

The world stood still.

9-11 echoed all over the world.

Every radio and TV channel in my small country broadcasted the horrific events.

EVERY SINGLE CHANNEL.

A national day of mourning was declared in my small country, and our flag was lowered to half-mast.

In schools, children learned about it with their teachers. On the morning of September 12, a planned trip with my friends was canceled. Celebrating seemed inappropriate.

Fast forward to the present.

Everything in Boston is normal. So Normal.

Everyone is invested in their day-to-day lives.

It’s so normal, and it feels so wrong.

Riding the train, walking the halls of the hospital, and almost any human contact makes me wonder: Do people care?

So today, I will present my perspective.

Number 60.

Main Article

Take any event in your life as an example. I’m referring to you as an individual.

When do people genuinely care about you?

1. They care when they're deeply connected to you.

This bond means your emotions are important to them. When you're sad, they’re sad. When you're happy, they're happy. Typically, this is seen among parents, children, and close friends.

2. They care when it directly impacts their lives.

For instance, if a distant colleague is laid off, you might worry about working harder because your colleague is gone.

3. They care when you've shared an experience together.

Often, it’s a traumatic experience.

For example, being on a flight that nearly crashed.

Now, instead of individuals, let’s transition to the level of countries.

🌐 The behavior of countries follows the same rules:

Rule 1: They care when they share a deep bond.

Australia and New Zealand are a good example. They’re like close friends. However, such relationships are rare.

Rule 2: They “care” when it directly affects their interests.

Essentially, Country A will show “concern” for Country B because not caring will lead to repercussions for Country A.

Rule 3: They “care” when their own celebrities care.

By “celebrities” I mean media, journalists, and social media influencers.

Celebrities from Country A witness the struggles of Country B, and they broadcast it to their followers who trust them.

So where does it lead us?

If you're a dominant nation, the 2nd and 3rd rules ensure that many countries “care” about you. Many nations rely on you, and there are numerous celebrities in your country to make your voice heard.

But for smaller countries, the third rule is the only way to gain attention. Smaller countries need these influential figures to spread their message.

Yet, the media landscape has changed drastically in recent years.

Sure, we had social media in the past, but social media users now consume short messages. Very short.

Platforms have adapted: TikTok, Stories, Instagram, Telegram, YouTube Shorts. Nobody delves deep into anything anymore.

Nowadays, everything is summed up into a single image with a few words or a short video.

Once considered concise, platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook are now viewed as long-form content that many skim over.

The trend is clear: quick consumption and then move on.

So, what's the problem?

We've grown accustomed to digesting information in bite-sized chunks. We prefer summaries, preferably accompanied by pictures, with bold headlines for clarity.

This poses a significant challenge for smaller countries. People assume they know everything about small countries after consuming a single headline, a brief video, or an influencer's perspective. And remind you, an influencer might be an expert in fashion but not in geopolitics.

As someone from a small nation of just over 9 million, this has always been our reality.

Media creates the illusion of sharing the same experiences as we do. A video might make viewers feel they've lived a moment alongside us.

But these are not genuine shared experiences.

They're quickly forgotten.

Ultimately, smaller countries are left to deal with their challenges, often in isolation.

Being away from my country has highlighted this. People's opinions change based on the latest headlines and social media trends. 

But that’s the good part.

The worst part is that for most interactions I have here, days pass without anyone mentioning your homeland's issues.

Most aren't willing to invest the time or effort to truly understand the complexities of another country's challenges. This is just the way it is.

The world doesn’t care.

Epilogue

That’s it for this issue.

I hope for better days.

Shay