The first time I remember actively paying attention to the news was my senior year of high school. One of my classes was AP (Advanced Placement) Government, and a portion of our grade was contributing daily to “Comments, Questions, and Concerns,” where we were supposed to talk about current issues in the news. Prior to being graded on world events, I hadn’t ever taken the time to read about things outside my high school bubble.

I was surprised by how much I loved it. I had been so out of touch that discovering this whole new world of information was amazing. Suddenly addicted to never missing what was going on, I signed up for nearly every major newspaper’s app, receiving push notification after push notification for every urgent update.

The problem was that when every piece of news is considered urgent, keeping up can become overwhelming. I was torn between not wanting to miss out and wanting to stay sane.

Thankfully, a friend recommended theSkimm. A daily email that summarizes what’s going on in the news, theSkimm keeps me current in a manageable way. Rather than having interruptions throughout my day, I have a highlight reel of world events right in one place when I wake up. theSkimm keeps me current on more than global affairs; it includes updates on sporting events, award shows, trending books, and people to know. And every update includes links to full-length articles, giving me easy access to more detail.

Most important, theSkimm makes me feel smart while keeping me entertained. With its funny quotes of the day and conversational language, theSkimm is approachable. By sounding like a friend giving me a summary of what’s going on in the news, it lets me no longer be afraid to sound uneducated. It gives me the space to be curious, to admit that in a busy world I sometimes fall behind on current events, and to not feel ashamed for being interested in something I can’t dedicate all my time to.

theSkimm gives me a chance to be part of a community, both large and small. By receiving it, I am able to be more connected to the world around me, giving me the knowledge to talk about issues of the day. And while I am able to access this greater community, I am also able to deepen my relationships with my friends as we send stories back and forth, asking one another for opinions on topics we wouldn’t before have thought to discuss.

Who would have thought I would ever be so grateful to wake up to an email?