Staff Editorial

The roar of a gunshot. The destruction of a home. The loss of a life. Death happens every day in America and,  as a result, our society has become numb to its causes. 

The recent Los Angeles wildfires have caused an uproar of commotion and discourse, especially regarding celebrities. People feel less sympathy for those with glamorous lives and tend to invalidate their issues by saying they have enough resources to simply rebuild their luxurious homes. What these people fail to realize, though, is that no amount of money can replace the memories that have been lost within the fire. 

While many comments regarding the fires have been positive, the ones lacking empathy highlight our society’s numb nature and emphasize the need for compassion. 

Politics commonly seep through discussions of tragedy. When 22-year-old Laken Riley was murdered at the University of Georgia on Feb. 22, 2024, by a Venezuelan man who had illegally entered the United States, people were putting more focus on him than Laken herself. While it is important to advocate during these situations, politics have a divisive nature, and can sometimes shift the focus away from the victims themselves. It is okay to want to enforce change, as long as we are remembering the lives lost as well. 

Social media has also changed the way we consume things. If it is simply not interesting enough, we just swipe past it, disregarding the tragedy at hand. This can not only lead to a lack of empathy but also to a lack of education. Take the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, for example. If people were too impatient to watch a 10-second clip regarding the lives taken during the BLM movement, they would then become potentially ignorant or even skewed to the larger issues at hand such as police brutality and racial discrimination. 

Social media has become way too insensitive. When we go to the comment sections of videos regarding tragedy, we would expect to see sympathetic responses, but, instead, there are people making fun of the situation or even glamorizing the perpetrator. We have become so adjusted to the idea of death that it becomes difficult to wrap our heads around the impermanence of mortality. 

Video games also play a major role in the desensitization of violence within our society. Think about our little brothers and sisters and how much violence they are consuming just by indulging in one of their favorite pastimes. Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat and Fortnite are all games that involve guns. Kids are playing these games for hours on end without even batting an eye at the thought of shooting someone. 

On the other hand, though, violence is something we see every day. Just think about how much has already happened in less than a month of 2025. From the California wildfires to the New Orleans attack, it is undeniable that we have all been exposed to large amounts of tragedy recently. So, maybe we are not as desensitized as we are confused about how to handle these overwhelming amounts of violence at such a young age. 

If we continue to ignore the tragedies in our everyday world, our society will only become more desensitized. Death will quickly shift into our norm if we continue to observe the media as a spectacle rather than an opportunity for change. Without becoming too overly consumed by the news, we encourage you to stay aware and take action on current issues.

Our voice matters, so make it echo.