Turns out what I’d planned as a semi-interesting social experiment to discern whether I could disconnect from my echo chamber by ignoring it, or finding an alternative, is actually a fairly usual thing. In the age of staying woke, we should remember that to do so takes time, privilege, and can often be to the detriment of our mental health. The balance between feeling empowered to speak up about current affairs and protecting yourself must be kept in check. I don’t think giving up media is for me, but one thing I will take from the week is to treat breaking and instant news with a little more caution than before. What’s true is that no matter how engaged one is, in order to get on with your daily life you have to be able to disengage, too, and there’s a slight problem. Staying woke by reading loads allows me to look good in conversation, but in today’s climate it’s not how much we know, it’s about how we act on what we know that’s important.