I have a solution for how to keep yourself updated on current events without necessarily Twitter, Facebook or a social networking aspect. It's called Google Reader.
A friend (shoutout Kara!) has used this for awhile now, but I tried it out at the beginning of winter break. I follow the Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Columbia Missourian, Columbia Tribune and blogs of choice--such as the Missouri Journalism School, MOJO Advertising Agency, my sorority and the blogs of my close friends. It's been very effective and allows you to read not only the headlines, but essentially the nut graf and most important part of the story. When I'm at school, I will feel more informed about what is going on at home, without having to put in the additional effort to read through Chicago publications' website.
Living in a world where people prefer brief updates rather than lengthy stories, it is a perfect tool to get the headlines but read more if you are interested. Comparison and various viewpoints can be analyzed by scanning and reading multiple articles on the same news story, such as the recent Arizona shooting. I've read news and opinion pieces on safety of citizens, what this means for politicians and the story itself of what happened, and have never felt more knowledgable about one simple occurrence.
It is also a much better use of my time than reading Facebook, because it immerses you in what's going on in the world rather than the complaints, postings, feelings and photos of your Facebook network. Thus, I endorse Google Reader and highly recommend that all of my fellow Mizzou journalism students use their Gmail accounts to start a page for current event quizzes and more!
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