The Danger of Desensitization
While I was mulling over potential topics to cover for my Ted Talk, I found myself overwhelmed by the possibilities. The abundance of important issues deserving of attention were so great that I struggled with the idea of having to choose just one. Suddenly I was faced with an intriguing question; why are there so many issues? With advances in technology, increasing access to education, and a consistently available stream of information about the state of the world, why are there still so many potential Ted Talk topics for leadership students? My answer to this is desensitization. Desensitization is defined as the situation that occurs when an "emotional response to a given stimulus is reduced or extinguished, especially by repeated exposure to that stimulus" (Dictionary.com).
The idea that I want to present is that people are so constantly overwhelmed with information about the goings-on of the world, particularly bad information, that we have become desensitized to the sadness of these stories. I am currently reading a book called Factfulness by Hans Rosling, in which it is stated that good news is not news. Good news is rarely reported in the world and so the result is that we are constantly bombarded with bad news, allowing for the overexposure that I believe has resulted in mass desensitization. Rosling also explains that more news does not equal more suffering, indicating that an increase in bad news is not due to a worsening state of the world, but is rather the result of better surveillance. While his main message is that the world is generally getting better, I wish to focus more on the fact that many injustices still occur in the world, despite this incredible surveillance.
This led me to my second question; if so much of the world has access to the information and tools necessary to create change, why is more change not occurring? The reality is that the everyday Canadian high school student can easily be a change maker on behalf of any current world issue. Environmental factors such as the right to free speech and peaceful protest, combined with tools such as social media campaigns and GoFundMe pages, have created conditions in Canada that are extremely conducive to fostering change, if we should so choose to make it happen. The fact that a smartphone, something which is almost guaranteed to be found in the pocket of every Canadian adolescent, can act as a catalyst for world improvement is an exciting idea; one that is not being fully realized.
While this is in part due to the frequency at which we receive bad information, I also believe that the format in which we are receiving this information is contributing to our desensitization. Viewing world events through our phone, TV, and computer screens is impersonal and can make us feel disconnected, providing an almost fictional element to a very real story. We are alarmingly capable of turning off our devices, going about our day, and forgetting the evident horrors we bore witness to in the media. If we have knowledge of an injustice that directly impacts us and is taking place in our immediate vicinity, we would likely report it or speak out against it. Yet, we have this same level of knowledge of injustices occurring all over the world and we do nothing. We do not take advantage of our smartphones or our democratic society to be the change makers we have the potential to be. Why? Because desensitization has enabled us to feel as though what isn't happening to us, isn't happening at all. I feel that this video released by Save The Children further illustrates my point about how desensitized our society has become.
The idea that I want to present is that people are so constantly overwhelmed with information about the goings-on of the world, particularly bad information, that we have become desensitized to the sadness of these stories. I am currently reading a book called Factfulness by Hans Rosling, in which it is stated that good news is not news. Good news is rarely reported in the world and so the result is that we are constantly bombarded with bad news, allowing for the overexposure that I believe has resulted in mass desensitization. Rosling also explains that more news does not equal more suffering, indicating that an increase in bad news is not due to a worsening state of the world, but is rather the result of better surveillance. While his main message is that the world is generally getting better, I wish to focus more on the fact that many injustices still occur in the world, despite this incredible surveillance.
This led me to my second question; if so much of the world has access to the information and tools necessary to create change, why is more change not occurring? The reality is that the everyday Canadian high school student can easily be a change maker on behalf of any current world issue. Environmental factors such as the right to free speech and peaceful protest, combined with tools such as social media campaigns and GoFundMe pages, have created conditions in Canada that are extremely conducive to fostering change, if we should so choose to make it happen. The fact that a smartphone, something which is almost guaranteed to be found in the pocket of every Canadian adolescent, can act as a catalyst for world improvement is an exciting idea; one that is not being fully realized.
While this is in part due to the frequency at which we receive bad information, I also believe that the format in which we are receiving this information is contributing to our desensitization. Viewing world events through our phone, TV, and computer screens is impersonal and can make us feel disconnected, providing an almost fictional element to a very real story. We are alarmingly capable of turning off our devices, going about our day, and forgetting the evident horrors we bore witness to in the media. If we have knowledge of an injustice that directly impacts us and is taking place in our immediate vicinity, we would likely report it or speak out against it. Yet, we have this same level of knowledge of injustices occurring all over the world and we do nothing. We do not take advantage of our smartphones or our democratic society to be the change makers we have the potential to be. Why? Because desensitization has enabled us to feel as though what isn't happening to us, isn't happening at all. I feel that this video released by Save The Children further illustrates my point about how desensitized our society has become.
Over the course of the next four months I hope to investigate this idea of desensitization and in particular, how it relates to the average Canadian teenager. I am eager to use my peers to collect data that will help me understand just how deeply desensitization runs in our demographic. My goal is to find statistics in addition to psychological and sociological research that better explains the presence and impact of a desensitized generation. I want to understand how myself and those around me can help to foster empathy and inspire action going forward. Desensitization is an issue I feel very strongly about because it is one that I witness every day. A recent shooting near a local high school should have drawn strong public outcry about gun laws and safe learning environments. Instead, it elicited a comment from one of my classmates in which they expressed disappointment that nothing that exciting ever happens at our school. This is desensitization. This is dangerous. With this project I hope to grow and energize my own mindset and worldview. If I can do this, even on a small scale, for just one other person, I will consider this endeavour successful.
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