Opinion by J1 Reporter Lilly Italia

As tragedies of war, poverty and murder are dumbed-down for the incompetence of a TikTok audience, social media has allowed for the desensitization of an entire generation. 

Through influencer-type “journalists” feeding off of the past week’s tribulation, in their feigned heartache, they can still find the time to withhold the names of the deceased of yesterday for a few sacred moments. But fret not, these moments are placed within the great use of begging an audience of 13-year-olds for likes.

And for the primitive, or the easily influenced, the calamities of the world cease to exist in those brief seconds of disengagement— this disengagement contributes to a constantly-blooming worldly issue: ignorance. 

The lack of seriousness on social media diminishes the importance of personal, societal, and political issues facing the world. Often, posts in regard to such controversies are littered with bot or clickbait-filled comments, alongside blatant crudely insensitive remarks to enrage or humor an audience. 

Of course, these comments gain what the writer desires— notoriety. 

So, being reposted, liked or shared, the impressionable gains the confidence and reassurance to incorporate these ideas into their own. However, this extends outward, beyond social media into people’s, especially adolescent’s, lives.

Within the spread of poorly-developed ideologies that often revolve around racist and misogynist ideals, the rise of “dark humor” has infused itself in the immature and those too sensitive to confront social issues. 

Almost daily, I see comments in response to war and murder condensed into only the most intellectual statements, statements such as, “womp, womp” or, “and the world kept spinning.”

Where has empathy gone?

Really, it has fallen victim to the vitriol of social media. Especially on TikTok and Instagram Reels, where there is a large sum of pre-teens and teenagers, it seems as if the masses find no bearing in another’s tragedy. 

Whilst many seem to be too far gone in this rhetoric, I believe there’s a more important aspect to this issue.

Parents need to begin placing books, not screens in front of their children.

Reading gives people the power to become understanding. In a world where those who read are fewer than those who drool at the thought of TikTok, people lack the basic foundations in becoming sensible, kind individuals. 

I can only hope that fifteen or so years from now, the same Marian girls who strive to become influencers will recognize the importance of actually raising their children; not expecting an iPad to teach them how to be a human.

Empathy must be seen as essential. 

That failure should end with my generation.