If I said that Kylie Jenner had a child on 1st February 2018, I’m certain that the vast majority would have some recollection of the event, and would even be able to recall the now 1-month-old baby’s name, father’s name and the story behind her name. However, if I told you there is a genocide taking place in Myanmar, right this minute, would you have the same response?

Recently, there has been a huge buzz over the birth of Stormi Webster. The 20-year-old, reality-television and social media personality, Kylie Jenner, had a baby girl. Whilst, the makeup mogul and her partner Travis Scott, kept the pregnancy a secret until after the delivery, the genocide of the Rohingya Muslims has been forced to be kept a secret, as only very few are aware of this. 

The media handpicks what is considered ‘newsworthy.’ And, though this may seem like an obvious statement, this not only affects what we, as a society know about, but also what we deem important or irrelevant. Although celebrities’ lives are interesting to find out about, in the grand scheme of things, the fact that Kylie Jenner had a baby, is insignificant compared to the estimated 13,700 Rohingya Muslims killed already in the genocide.

One student, Aleeya Lone says, “the media believe that we would much rather hear about the lives of celebrities rather than the lives of those suffering in this genocide for example. It is easier to read more trivial articles, rather than more meaningful topics.” On the other hand, school teacher, Sangeetha Rammohan, when questioned about the relevance of what people enjoy reading, said “I think we should hear more about serious topics either way. It is not about what we want to hear. It is about what is actually going on in the world right now.”

It is important to not lay full blame on the media for what we are exposed to. The fact is, that the shallow gossip is on the news, because we enjoy reading it. So, instead of being so wrapped up in our own lives, it is vital that we put in the effort to find out more about what is going on elsewhere in the world. Therefore, I pose to you the question: which is more important, the one new life, or the 10,000 lost lives?

Aditi Rammohan Croydon High School