By: Nessa Purdy

Opinion Editor

With the seemingly infinite amount of information immediately available to us at the touch of a screen, current events and news have never been more accessible. While it may seem that this hyper-efficient mode of communication makes us more knowledgeable and aware of the world around us, often this rapid, short-from content on social media can create a culture of apathy and disconnect. 

The sheer amount of content available on social media is not the problem. The graphic videos and images often circulated through social media platforms make viewers desensitized to violence. While scrolling on social media, silly and light-hearted videos often mix with horrific images of war, terror, and brutality. I am in no way trying to argue that awareness about these topics is unimportant, but the casual nature in which many people view such shocking media not only sensationalizes these events, but also makes them into a form of entertainment. 

This exposure to graphic content and images of horrific current events creates a parasocial relationship between the victims and the viewers. This disconnect causes these horrific events to transform into a sort of entertainment. The form of this content also reinforces this disconnect, as some viewers are more likely to watch a 30-second clip than they are to read a full news article about the topic. This can also villainize certain parties, without providing the necessary understanding of current events; certain groups are often simplified into good and bad, without taking into account the nuances of a situation.

Due to the overwhelming presence of visual media in the modern era, this generation is the first to fully experience the effects of such attainable violent content. Older generations did not have the capability to see first-hand the realities of war. The human brain simply has not adapted to such frequent viewing of this sort of content. Studies conducted by the American Psychological Association have shown that exposure to violent media inhibits the development of the frontal lobe and can cause long-term increases in aggression, especially in younger viewers. While this may indicate that this generation is much more aware of global events, it also produces a much larger, and detrimental divide between victims and viewers. 

 While it is vital that we use social media to spread accurate information and awareness about current events, we must monitor the reception of this kind of content and urge the use of in-depth, long-form content in order to encourage a more complex and accurate understanding of current events. The transformation of news into entertainment needs to stop; this system creates parasocial relationships that ultimately dehumanize the victims and groups involved. 

(Sources: American Psychological Association)