How to survive another year of chaos

From disconnecting from algorithms to rebuilding real-world solidarity, some end-of-year thoughts on preparing for 2026 together.

Photo by John Cameron

It’s not how we wanted to end the year. The nation barely had a chance to mourn the victims of the Bondi massacre before pro-Israel lobbyists and right-wing politicians seized the opportunity to push a divisive, anti-democratic and anti-immigrant agenda.

With astonishing speed, one of Australia’s greatest tragedies has been shamefully exploited into an unprecedented assault on democratic freedoms.

Instead of Bondi being a unifying moment, it’s instead seen a hardening of attitudes and a surge in toxic discourse. In this sense, Australia is not an outlier, but part of a world that is drifting further into cruelty and instability as inequality deepens and AI threatens to upend jobs.

So, what can we – those of us with a conscience – do to prepare for next year?

Switch off the algorithms

If you’re taking a break this Christmas and New Year, put your phone away. Connect with those in front of you – friends, family, neighbours. True community exists with the real people in our lives, and it’s through community that we nourish our souls and form part of a collective spirit.

News will continue over the summer weeks, but we are all in need of recharging and reconnecting with the loved ones who make life worthwhile. Going forward, build habits of disconnecting from the phone during your normal week. Try not to doomscroll before bed or first thing when you wake up, don’t take your phone with you to the toilet, and install apps that block social media for hours at a time (I use Freedom).

Read more books

If you don’t have a summer book read, get one. My go-to genres are historical fiction/non-fiction and philosophy, to help provide context and meaning to our world beyond the surface-level soundbites we consume daily.

Reading also helps keep our brains from turning into mush.

This summer I’ll be diving into Capital by Karl Marx to truly comprehend how our destructive, exploitative system works.

Join a union and local community groups

Alone, we are helpless. Together, we are powerful. And there are no reasons why we must face the challenges ahead of us in isolation. The past year has seen a resurgence of collective activity. Join a trade union in your industry and get active. Or look up events by a variety of community groups that have emerged in opposition to the Gaza genocide, such as Readers and Writers Against Genocide, the Jewish Council of Australia and various Palestine action groups that exist in cities and towns across the country.

Change your media consumption

We know Meta censors. We know TikTok US has been sold to pro-Israel billionaires. We know mainstream media serve the interests of the powerful. So, let’s change the ecosystem through which we receive news and information.

Deepcut is but one new voice in an emerging independent landscape dedicated to truth and the common good. Domestically, consider others such as Ette Media, Cheek Media and The Shot. Internationally, look up Drop Site News, Zeteo and Novara Media.

Spend less time on Instagram and TikTok, and more consuming these outlets directly, wherever they live.

Shutting down for 2025

This is our final email for 2025, and we’ll be heeding our own advice – disconnecting from our screens, connecting with those around us and recharging our batteries. We’ll be back the week starting January 12, ready to confront the forces of hate, division and greed with rigorous, fearless journalism.

Thank you to all who have supported us. We’re only six months in, but the overwhelming response confirms what we suspected – that there is a strong appetite for independent journalism that cuts through the spin.

We look forward to you being by our side in 2026. Until then, stay safe and create memories of joy with the people who matter in your lives.