An excessive amount of headlines hurdle past your eyes by the second.
A fight broke out at Midtown, another fire surge in California, a school shooting kills two innocent lives. President Trump insults another Democrat on Twitter, another Kardashian is born. The newest celebrity couple to endure the spotlight breaks up.
Some headlines might catch your eye more than others, but continuously scrolling through the same disheartening content tempers your reactions. A brief moment of reflection occurs, and then you go on about your day.
In a 2014 psychological study, college students were shown to have lowered empathy and emotional reactivities to violence. This trend could persist, since the current generation of college students have grown up with a trend of school shootings. And as sexual assault cases fade into obsoleteness while danger lurks around every corner - paranoia invades our senses.
Mental disorders are more prevalent than ever. Psychologist Anita Gadhia-Smith told the New York Times that anxiety levels have increased with numbers of shootings and violent attacks. The news never rests. Poverty-stricken families, children suffering, the constant strife between conservatives and liberals — with every solemn event that arises, dozens of headlines are crafted.
It’s a nonstop reminder of all the bad in the world, but we have to remind ourselves that the good persists. Anne Marie Albano, a clinical psychologist and the director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders, advises to only check the news during certain periods instead of reading headlines consistently throughout the day.
Rather than reinforcing the negativity of others, focus on the positive aspects of our society. Plug into entertainment news and all the buzz surrounding the latest award show wins. Follow a new make-up tutorial on YouTube. Chuckle along with late-night talk show hosts as they interview your favorite musician.
Desensitization is spreading, and it’s hard not to lose your resolve. But if you don’t feed into it, then you can’t become overwhelmed. As a journalism major, I can fully attest to the fact that the news is draining. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. We can’t ignore it, and we can’t diminish its importance.
If we don’t react, then we can’t incite change. Progress never gets occurs if everything remains stagnant. Pay attention to the news. Get angry, and then do something about it.
Charles Figley, director of the Traumatology Institute at Tulane University, told the Cut there are two ways of dealing with traumatic events. “To respond,” he said. “Or to put it out of your mind.”
It’s easy to feel powerless. But you’re not. Call local politicians. Participate in rallies. Donate anything you can to organizations and charities working to fix the damage. Remember to use your voice, and choose to respond.
Lauren Rousseau is a UF sophomore journalism major.
