// Pre-occupied or just un-interested?

With the shock waves of the election only just beginning, Australians have once again demonstrated to me our ability to be so entrenched in something whilst simultaneously disengaging all together from everything irrelevant in their personal lives. How are we so fickle? It seems all of social media is slamming the Abbott government election result.... yet only approximately 32% of young people actually voted. COME ON GUYS!! If you complain about the result and didn't vote then you shouldn't be complaining. Meanwhile, as memes and doomsday predictions surface throughout the internet there seems to be no knowledge of anything other than a few condensed issues. Where is the interest regarding the chemical weapons crisis in Syria? Every newspaper in the US and Britain is headlining Obama's speech on the situation - yet a quick survey of 10 university students found that only 1/3 actually knew anything about it. Is this a flaw in our media outlets or just a lack of interest in the rest of the world? I'd say the latter. Checking a number of online Australian news websites I found that there was no shortage of information on the Syria problem.... Where do young people go for news these days?

It seems to me that issues deemed important by society are those that go viral on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr; not necessarily the most important issues. Do you agree? So far by looking at my newsfeed the most important issue seems to be speculation that the Abbott government has already started (??) dredging of the Great Barrier Reef for mining. An issue I'm passionate about yes, and unbelievable if true, but I can't seem to find any backing evidence, especially considering the coalition government isn't even in power yet so can't actually allow this to happen. People are gullible.

On the other hand, the power of social perception (mmmmhmmmm.... liking something to make you seem cooler) on social media has led to a wonderful petition urging Tony Abbott to re-think his godawful national broadband plan.

Buuuuutttttt..... back to the main point: Stop being lazy guys and if you didn't vote then you have NO right to complain. However badly I personally think this election went, there are some gems beneath the dust: the Greens have won more seats than ever before, and the new Labor party consists only of members who have held the trust of their electorates. We have the power as the people for a new government to listen to us. As much as I dislike the Liberal policies, it is a chance for us young people to band together and fight, fight for once in our life for something we believe in. It's happening already with the NBN petition and I can see it going further. The election has made us angry, and if we can learn anything from history it's that angry young people make things happen.

// Double standards + Social media (OR here is me sounding like an insane feminist)

If we are living in a society that believes in equality (we aren't), that believes in free expression (we aren't) and practices sexual freedom then why did Miley Cyrus get the reaction that she did following the VMAS performance? It's a question that I'd say most people could answer easily. They tell me she is a slut, she's changed, she's a whore, she's trashy, she has no morals anymore... that her father would be disappointed of, that children shouldn't be allowed to watch.... But why? Why have we come so far yet so completely backwards in some aspect of our lives. The topic has been tirelessly overdone, and I'm sick to death about it popping up everywhere, but I personally think that my opinion is right (hehe) and needs to be heard. That performance was raunchy, yes, and it was a little uncharacteristic of a former Miss Hannah Montana, but does that give every single person in the world the right to comment on the state of the poor girls ass? Why no one has kicked up a fuss and demanded her male companion, Robin Thicke be formally taken off the airways for his horrendous (may I add, chart topping) song regarding 'blurred lines' and advocating a rape culture already imbedded into western society. It's disgusting the way such a large group of people, starting on Twitter and following to Facebook are influencing the subtle opinions of so many others as they indirectly assume what is right, and what is not right in terms of gender roles. So what she wore underwear and sang a song about partying? Hasn't Madonna already done that... in THE 80'S? Doesn't Lady Gaga regularly create discussion with her extravagant (or lack thereof) costuming? We all know performers these days are all about creating impact, and costume's are all about bringing that extra element to the show. It was her decision to do what she did, and we can criticise all we like on her lyrics, her celebrity lifestyle, and even her decision to perform the song at the said event, however no person has the right to insult her for being free. Performing a song with raunchy dance moves is no crime, yet it seems the whole world is up in arms about it. (Beyonce has never made headlines like this but I can assure you that some of her dance moves are just as sexual). 

What I'm trying to convey is pretty much I hate the way our society has used social media to create a ball rolling affect that promotes such sheep like behaviour. Has no one realised the double standards presented in this case of Miley vs Robin Thicke? He physically disgusts me, and I'd rather listen to fingernails on a chalkboard than his horrific song. Maybe he would disagree, but the message I get from that song, and the accompanying NSFW film clip is one of rape and male supremacy. When did it ever become ok for a song in the Top 40 advocate for SEXUAL OBJECTIFICATION and PRIMAL DESIRE regarding the wills of women! Oh wait....

Let Miley be, and if you must complain, don't complain about her bum being flabby and her costume too see through because if that's all you got from the VMA's performance, then I'm just going to go ahead and assume you are 80 years old and probably still living in 1953. Where did the sisterhood code go? Us women need to stick together, and instead of insulting other women all the time, we should band together and get something done. Until you have the balls to get up in front of millions of people and perform an act, quite willing to accept the controversy following then you can just sit right back down my friend, and continue tweeting about how much you can't wait to start working on your bikini bod.