After the recent massacre in Orlando, again we are reminded of the senseless violence that occurs in our country on a regular basis. Sure, when you turn on the news or check social media and come across a horrific event such as this, one is taken aback with shock. Nevertheless, many millennials find that they have become apathetic towards similar incidents. Often, young people grow indifferent towards these horrific events shortly after they occur. It is not a question of whether or not millennials feel empathy towards those affected by violence; of course, we're empathetic. Nevertheless, when violence occurs as frequently as it does in America, it's difficult for us to be taken aback every single time it happens.
There is no question to whether or not our generation is desensitized to violence. Arguably, our desensitization began after September 11th, 2001. Many of us were young when the attacks occurred; the impact of the attacks was, for many, our first exposure to terrorism and violence. After 9/11, the United States entered an age of terrorism and paranoia, something millennials are very familiar with.
Violence is everywhere. Americans are obsessed with violent action movies, television shows, and video games. First-person shooters are frequently put on blast for their alleged glorification of violence, nevertheless, various other media arguably do the same. Millennials love action and violence, for they provide us with a cheap thrill for a short period time.
Our love for violence ends when it occurs in the 'real' world. We watched the news with horror as they reported from Virginia Tech in 2007 after the massacre of 32 people. We gasped after the death of 13 in Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. We cringed after the shootings in Binghamton, New York, in 2009. 2012, in Aurora, Colorado. At Sandy Hook Elementary School. In San Bernardino. In Orlando.
With every attack, our generation grows increasingly more pessimistic and indifferent.
With social media and the internet, it is difficult to turn a blind eye on violence in America. Our connectivity makes it easier for us to report on incidents such as the Orlando shootings. As a result, we are bombarded with information about every violent incident that occurs nationwide the minute they happen. We cannot ignore it, people are dying everywhere, every day. This bombardment only adds to our desensitization, since we encounter it regularly.
We grew up surrounded by the terrors of 9/11. We have witnessed wide-scale bombings and shootings, and even small stabbings and shootings on a daily basis. With every incident, we heave a collective sigh and begin the mourning process, again. There is only so much sympathy we can dole out to the victims of these various attacks, especially because it seems as if we need to save some sympathy for the inevitable next attack.
Ultimately, it is important to emphasize that we're not all necessarily cold, indifferent, heartless young adults who don't particularly care about mass shootings and other senseless violence; everyone recognizes how tragic each attack is. Yet, they occur regularly in America. It leaves us to wonder...at what point will we stop caring? If we continue on the path we are now, in the future we are bound to become indifferent towards similar violence. It is is not a question of if, it is a question of when.
