We’ve just gone through that time of year again where many of us reflect on the successes and failures of the past 365 days; we look back at the goals and targets we set ourselves this time last year and see if we have accomplished what we wanted to do, become what we wanted to become etc.
My resolution at the start of 2022 had been to meet and understand people better. By the end of 2022 I had definitely achieved much of that through my weekly football playing, going out with some local friends, reading lots of autobiographies and biographies and listening to a lot of podcasts. Now, I'm not saying I'd turned into some behavioural psychologist or anything but I had started to have a better understanding of folks.
I continued with this resolution in 2023 and read a lot more autobiographies including Spare (Prince Harry), I Might Regret This (Abbi Jacobson), Who I Am (Mel C), Crying in H Mart (Michelle Zauner), I'm Glad my Mom Died (Jennette McCurdy) and The Woman in Me (Britney Spears). I also listened to a lot of podcasts including all of This Cultural Life which has celebrities share their formative influences and, much like Desert Island Discs and People, Just People, offered an insight into the human condition. I learned a lot from this and, even though many of these people lived vastly different lives to mine, I found many shared the same worries, concerns and dreams as me and, I assume, many other people have.
Away from all this, it has been bittersweet year to be a gamer- there were many all-timer games released but this was undercut by thousands upon thousands of job losses. The executive class meanwhile seemed to be awarding themselves handsomely though at least someone is happy. I played a lot, working through my pile of shame and completing: God of War: Ragnarok, Horizon Zero Dawn: Forbidden West, The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Ghost of Tsushima, Last Stop, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Goodbye Volcano High, Gley Lancer, Alba, Dordogne, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Road ‘96 and Resident Evil 4 Remake. Gaming took most of my free time this year but I still have a huge pile of shame which I will resume with in February.
This is my to do list for 2023. Add in Alan Wake 2 and a few other digital games and I’m stocked for a while.
My new resolution for 2023 was to know more about the condition of the world through consuming media on politics, world history and the world of entertainment. Retrospectively… what a year to do that in, eh? I read Amy Jeffs’ Lost History about the myths and legends of the British Isles, Lost Islamic History by Firas Alkhateeb, Femina by Janina Ramirez, Burn It Down (which looked at abuse and #Metoo in Hollywood) by Maureen Ryan and Babel by R.F. Kuang, a fictional story about colonialism and legacy which spoke many truths. On the podcast front, I listened to Things Fell Apart (Jon Ronson) and Marianna in Conspiracyland (BBC) which showed the complexity of the culture wars and the times we live in.
Things were complex enough with all the constant culture wars stoking tensions across the media landscape but then the Israel-Palestine conflict started and exacerbated the situation somewhat. It is clear that the West is struggling with an identity crisis as the metanarratives it has carefully curated for itself about democracy, human rights and equality have started to fall apart. For generations, there has been a politics of memory- a reframing of the past into some glorious halcyon but the youth of today are no longer putting up with the rose tinted past and they are calling out the injustices and inequalities as they see them. More people seem to be realizing that the world has been built on a flimsy foundation of sand; the 2008 financial crash, #BLM, the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost of living crisis and the various conflicts have shown the inequalities that exist within our systems. Many people are starting to see that they have nothing left to lose and are driven in creating a New World Order (no, not the Illuminati one) but one where equity exists for all.
Following the various news stories, my digital footprint must be quite confusing for algorithms as I read both the Left (The Guardian, Owen Jones, Novara Media), Right (Spiked, LBC’s Nick Ferrari, Piers Morgan- on occasion) and also the Centre (occasionally the BBC, and LBC’s James O’Brien) take on the unfolding situations- whatever they may be.
Social media has been the game changer, allowing people to shine a light on whatever they deem important. There have been some dreadful ‘hot takes’ from celebrities, TV personalities, influencers and places of education and learning that should know better. The absurdities of some of the claims and quick responses to live situations, as if they had been based on independently verified fact checkers, created a corrosive and toxic atmosphere from which has arisen racism in all its variants, transphobia and so much more. This benefits no-one and divides us. Consuming all this, sometimes, I felt that some people just needed to give their head a wobble to sort themselves out. However, a lot of people, especially the youth, know that nihilism is not the way. Videos like the one below went viral and, whilst I cannot verify all the information is accurate, it does show that the reach on social media has been a game changer with how people can get their message out- for good or ill.
I'm seeing change afoot with the youth who won't let us blindly sink into oblivion. The youth of today are challenging the accepted norms and it can seem like they care deeply about so much. Their earnestness can be cringe inducing for many but I believe it is their superpower; the willingness to be agents of change. Obviously, this enthusiasm has been weaponised by some who are creating weird cult like behaviours by creating a flock of followers for their own weird agenda (see Russell Brand, Andrew Tate, Logan and Jake Paul etc) and some even go down weird tangents (Letters to America from Bin Laden) but, for the most part, the youth are angry and are right to be so. They are hyperconnected through the internet, the voiceless can now find their tribe and challenge the previously unchallenged, be it governments, religious organisations, educational institutions or whatever.
We shall see what the future brings but one thing is for sure, the current situation is untenable and things will need to change, and quick. I wish peace and prosperity for all people, irrespective or race, religion, creed, colour or sexuality. Live and let live!
* Ahem* Anyways… this year I hope to continue to read, listen and watch more to know my fellow man, be mindful of the politics in Britain as we are in election year and continue to talk about freedom for the oppressed. As it is January, I’m taking time away from gaming for the months and above are photos of what I hope to work my way through. Wish me luck!
LINK: On, And On And Colston (Or, How We Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism in GB)
LINK- Utopia for Realists- Book Review
LINK: Natives: Race and Class in the Ruin of Empire- Book Review
LINK: Why I No Longer Talk To White People About Race