The generation of desensitization

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Julie Jones

Junior Abigail Cahill plays Moshi Monsters Egg Hunt after completing school work.

Julie Jones, Staff Writer

Generation Z has grown up with rapidly advancing technology, and with that comes more news and information than anyone could imagine.

Through spreading information and certain people being able to control the narrative, it has become easy to desensitize a great amount of violence and crazy ideologies. Watching television and scrolling through social media is a daily thing for most of this generation.

The impact of seeing violence and injustice from an early age has almost helped normalize these tragic events that are taking place now more than ever. Desensitization is a psychological process, sometimes you can’t even tell when it’s happening because it can be so subtle.

“I think pretty much everyone my age has been desensitized to violence, whether it be through the internet or movies,” said junior Abigail Cahill. “Some people are more affected by certain things than others.”

Desensitization isn’t only affecting people’s mindset on violence and destruction, but also the way certain geographical locations and the people who live in those places are imagined.

“I think the portrayal of countries other than the US is usually wrong. Africa isn’t a complete wasteland and Mexico isn’t just a poor desert,” said junior Matthew Grimm. “There’s so much more to these places that we aren’t seeing and it’s actually really heartbreaking to see certain portrayals and it really makes me think about how many people are affected by it.”

When minorities are shown in the media, whether it’s a movie or a news story, they often are gaslighted and stereotyped because of the role they have played in said story. For many years, racism and sexism have been represented by the media, but not always in good light.

The way these people act in their roles can be more influential to our opinions and can have harmful effects.

“I think whenever a minority group is represented, it’s always way over-dramatized or turned into their only personality trait,” Cahill said. “It can be a little disconcerting to watch, and sometimes leaves a bad impression on someone influenceable.”

I think whenever a minority group is represented, it’s always way over-dramatized or turned into their only personality trait. It can be a little disconcerting to watch, and sometimes leaves a bad impression on someone influenceable.”

— Abigail Cahill

Death has been so normalized for Generation Z. The impact of losing someone is huge, but sometimes it can be harder to be sympathetic towards the people who might be hurting more.

This could be occurring because of the amount of media that is consumed and how many communities are involved without realizing it.

“I mean we hear about a new death like every single day. I hear it behind me on the TV and don’t even react unless it is something outlandish or extreme,” Cahill said. “It is kinda sad to think about how normalized violence has become in the news.”

The news covers a variety of topics because it is their job to inform the community. With that, sometimes the way it covers devastating topics with a calm sense of certainty allows the audience to consume this information without comprehending the severity of some situations.

“I rarely watch the news because it honestly just brings me negative vibes and makes me sad,” said sophomore TyJanae Hooks. “Violence shouldn’t be as normalized as it is.”

The most efficient way to cover this pressing issue could be by communicating with each other. Seeing how friends and family are affected by the same media outlets could help show that these tragic events fly over our heads.

This can also help us synthesize more with the people who are suffering the most, whether it’s from confusion or just not knowing how to help the people in need.

“Violence has been pretty normalized I’d say. It’s not shocking nor does it come off as a terrible thing when we hear about some violent crime committed across the country,” Grimm said. “I don’t think it’s altered from the perspective of what happened, I think it’s altered in the way it’s perceived by each person depending on the source and the reporter and the audience.”