Do you recognize that feeling that the news and politics no longer have anything to do with you?
No one wants to be deceived, overlooked, or marginalized. Yet that is exactly how many people feel today. Crises and disasters are unfolding around the world, and anxiety is slowly creeping closer. At the same time, it feels as though the real problems in your own everyday life are being completely ignored.
It almost seems like the most sensible thing to do is to cut back on the news, ignore the politicians’ statements, and just focus on your own daily life: Go to work, do your part, and do the best you can. Because the media’s coverage just makes you angry, discouraged, and afraid—it rarely deals with the present, and almost never with anything that actually affects your life today.
It feels like you're expected to sacrifice yourself for other people's problems, while the ones who actually cause them get off scot-free. And if you don't shout loudly on social media, no one will hear you at all.
But why would you do that? You have a life to live, after all. The solution isn't to start a fight.
We all know that algorithms and the news media prioritize conflict and extremes. Politicians chase headlines, and as a result, the silent majority—all of us who just want things to work and to be able to trust society—is completely forgotten.
This isn't just a Swedish problem. It's happening all over the world. The same populist forces are capitalizing on exactly the same sense of abandonment.
We simply can't go on like this.
Ordinary people—the silent majority—must have a voice again. It’s not about more people shouting louder; it’s about society starting to listen to the right information.
In the past, regular surveys were conducted that gave the silent majority a voice. Today, people want to pretend that social media is a reflection of reality. But we all know that’s not the case.
That's why I founded Globeknot – The Global Knowledge Tank.
Globeknot is a nonprofit think tank with a clear mission: to give the silent majority a voice in major social issues. It’s about democracy, security, the present, and the future.
Through surveys, reports, and research collaborations, we aim to show what society is really like—far removed from the extremes of social media and the “breaking news” logic of the media.
There is already content available on our website, and much more is on the way.
Since we’re a completely nonprofit organization, we gratefully accept any support we can get. But above all: If you like the idea, please help me share this video so that more people can find their way here.
Torbjörn Sjöström
Founder of Globeknot