‘The Happy Channel: We need somewhere to turn for all the brighter things in life’

In the early hours of the morning, I woke up with a ‘squirmy’ tummy and an inclination to spend a considerable length of time sitting on the loo. I wasn’t feeling well. I looked at the computer (Facebook, emails and the like) whilst having the news on the television in the background. I should have gone back to bed!

On Facebook, there was coronavirus, coronavirus, and more coronavirus. On the news, the story was the same. Sure, we need to be kept informed, but there is a limit to how much anyone can endure. I don’t feel we need it 24/7!

Is it any wonder that people are suffering from mental health issues? After constantly being bombarded on a daily basis, if a person wasn’t feeling miserable before, they sure would be now, I thought to myself.

I listen to our prime minister; I listen to the chief medical officers, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t think these people know their ‘arses from their elbows’. They sit there in their exalted positions, their livelihood, their income, nor their jobs, are affected, but millions of Australia’s population are significantly impacted by this pandemic and the chaos it has caused!

Men, women and children taking their own lives; rural populations have been losing their small numbers because people are having to leave to seek employment; farmers are unable to find the labour to harvest their crops … The list is endless.

Certainly, the availability of a labour force for our fruit farmers is critical. They rely heavily on ‘backpackers’ to pick their fruit, but, of course, due to Covid-19, such workers are unable to come to Australia. If they do manage to, they have to be in quarantine for 14 days (at their own expense). What backpacker can afford to do that?

I’ve read and seen information where some farmers have had to dump their entire crop! The fall-out from that is the consumer will have to pay more for their fruit, which will probably be imported. Not to mention, the farmer will have a debt as long as his arm, and some may never recover.

From a personal point of view, I’ve not been significantly affected by Covid-19. Mobility issues have meant I don’t get out much anyway. Even so, I rarely see either of my sons or my grandchildren. One son, who relies on public transport, won’t even get on a bus to come and visit! I haven’t seen him in 12 months.

All this doom and gloom got me thinking though, how good would it be to have a Happy Channel to turn to during such times as these? I’m talking about a television station that only has good news and happy shows. Programming designed to make us laugh, or cry in happiness or joy. Something that focuses on the things that make us feel good.

With all the data collection and algorithms media companies and the like use on us, it surely can’t be that hard? At present I’d be better off watching television aimed at children!