We have become desensitized to news

Staff Editorial | The Chronicle

No matter your age, you are constantly surrounded by news. Our easy access to news and information provides us with diverse perspectives. However, it can also overwhelm us, making us feel paranoid and even helpless. With the 24-hour news cycle we’ve watched since the 80s, and the development of technology into the 21st century, consumers are swamped with current events at all times. In today’s fast-paced world, it has become increasingly challenging to unplug from the constant stream of events, allowing you to take a moment to breathe and absorb what you have seen.

In English and social studies classes, teachers encourage students to regularly be up-to-date on the news. But the continuous intake of tragedy; whether it be a school shooting, political scandal or natural disaster, induces anxiety and makes the audience wonder when catastrophe will strike them and their loved ones. It does not matter whether you prefer to consume news through social media, newspapers or television. Overconsumption affect everyone. Is the decision to avoid consuming news protecting us or is it exposing us to greater risks? Is it better to be well-informed about the various events in the world, both positive and negative, or to remain in our own small, familiar scope, sheltered from what is happening outside of the safety of the bubble?and the resulting stress can affect everyone.

Is the decision to avoid consuming news protecting us or is it exposing us to greater risks? Is it better to be well-informed about the various events in the world, both positive and negative, or to remain in our own small, familiar scope, sheltered from what is happening outside of the safety of the bubble?

The idea of being disconnected from the news is socially ridiculed and labeled as “willful ignorance”, but is a detachment from news really the prescription we all need? There must be a balance between taking in too much knowledge and not knowing about recent events at all. Media outlets are more likely to air or publish a story that is about a crime than something positive in the community. They do have an obligation to keep people informed, but it can escalate toan unnecessary level, especially when only focused on the negative aspects of the world.

On the other hand, as opposed to being overwhelmed and paranoid by news, some consumers feel the effects of overconsumption in the form of desensitization. This is the case for many members of Generation Z who grew up in an era of steady social media news coverage. When you are consistently reading about the most recent devastation, it is easy to become numb to major world events, perceiving it as something of common and insignificant unimportance.

unimportance. The constant occurrence of school shootings has dulled the once staggering sense of horror and tragedy surrounding them. With each new incident, media coverage rushes in, but the shock that used to grip the public has faded away. School shootings have wrongly become just another notification on the cellphones of people who have started to view these incidents as an unfortunate but routine part of life. This normalization of violence in schools that the media has created has not only diminished the emotional response to these tragedies but also the urgency for change, which leaves the affected communities in a fleeting downward spiral of inaction.

So how do we prevent the paranoia or desensitization that can come with watching the news? It is all about striking a balance. We can avoid being bombarded by news by controlling what we consume. As you scroll, process how the news you’re reading makes you feel. Do not just “doom scroll”, scanning what you read and swiping away. Think about it. This is a uniquely 21st-century problem, and one we haven’t faced in the past. The news we consume today is important, and together we can harness the power of easy news access for the better.