Opinion by RowanHamm

I am stressed. Not just with school, my college decision or the uphill battle of taking AP Government second semester of senior year, but with the state of our world. When I watch the news for too long it feels like I am a little kid again. I feel too small to do anything but sit there while the tsunami wave of negative news crashes into me. It feels like a helpless situation.

From the political divide to climate change to wars around the globe, to inequality at home and abroad, it feels like I am just a bystander to the world crumbling around me. I used to try and avoid that feeling by staying away from the news and focusing on myself, but what will that do other than hold off the feeling until another day? 

When that didn’t work, I tried surrounding myself with the news and gathering as much information as I possibly could to ease my anxiety, but again, it didn’t work. I just felt suffocated. So, what can you do?

Stay up to date about events taking place in the world, but don’t let them consume you. Allow yourself to feel upset and scared, then allow those things to motivate you to look for solutions. You can be an active character in your narrative when things feel overwhelming. 

When seeing news that distresses you, look for ways to get involved in the resolution of that issue and celebrate even the little wins. 

Climate change is not going to just magically fix itself while you’re ignoring the news about it; hate and bigotry in politics won’t just disappear if you pretend it isn’t happening— those things take work to solve. You cannot live your life with your eyes closed to injustice.

“You cannot live
your life with your eyes closed to 
injustice.”

-Rowan Hamm ’25

Find things that are in your control. Your carbon footprint, your biases, your involvement in local organizations and, if you’re old enough, your vote. Make a difference for the common good. Even though the things you may do may seem small or insignificant, they make a real difference. Think globally, act locally.

I understand how overwhelming it all can be, but we as young people are the next keepers of our world. We have a responsibility to care for the world we live in and care for the people around us. We also have a responsibility to make the world a better place for not only ourselves but for future generations. 

So watch the news, read newspapers, listen to the radio, stay connected, stay informed, stay invested. Knowledge and passion are power.