Republikein Newspaper

Natasja Byleveld

Are you OK thinking about unconventional ideas that could uplift society and norms to a higher standard? Do you like a challenge, or do you prefer convention in life?

Filtering into today’s music, artistic expression, literature, and video footage can increase the mental weight you put on yourself and your loved ones. It’s like taking a pill or substance to ‘numb’ your instinct to seek adventure and change.

It’s being in the trench for a year and being used to take defence mode to cope rather than move beyond the war. The media constantly condition us what to wear, how to speak, what to think about, what to deem as important, to have status, and to influence.

What are you adding to the media agenda with your photos, videos, and standards? Are you sustaining parts of the nearly impossible standards that sows so much doubt into the learning youth?

I’ve learnt that authenticity links you with any group of people. You are kind enough not to judge and stern enough not to feel evaluated or weighted on a scale bar. I don’t like it; I don’t believe it. I like, I believe. Which words are we holding onto most? Does it separate or create?

I did it my way? Frank Sinatra was poetic at the most, but let’s sing another tune. One without words, and one with acts of change. We must not lose the cover of the book nor the keys to the back door. We must not tolerate, because then we condone.

Time is the new currency, and what are you spending yours on?

What we think dictates our future. So many people inbox (Facebook) the bank for a loan; just a ka-loan. Where is the thought in that? Have we become so important that we apply for a job via a WhatsApp message? Or that we ask for money from a very random peer? Or standing on the same corner of the street with the same message day in and year out and we drive by pretending to fidget with something important.

What we view and what we speak defines us and the material we share.

I recall that I was forced to read my first newspaper(s) at varsity. I’m no politician but majored in BCom Economics, Politics, and Philosophy. What I loved was the philosophy of leadership. The ability to dissect information to its most authentic core and purpose: the ‘being’ of our conversations and the themes we used to define this neat life.

Have we not saturated the market with information, strategies, titles, tools, pride, and self-sufficiency already? Our media reports on various issues, and they do a great job. However, what are the standards of conversation on social media, what level of knowledge, respect, or interest does it reflect – and how have we become victim to this in many circumstances.

Do you prefer the trench (stench) of social media, or can we live without TikTok and long sad Facebook posts demanding other’s likes and attention?

What we think dictates our future. If we think the same, we will remain the same.

So forklift those perceptions you need to chuck and be a bit weird. It’s good for you.

*Natasja Byleveld is the managing director / owner of NaMedia