I was hoping 2017 would be an improvement from 2016, which has been regarded as one of the worst years in the 21st century. It turns out that we were wrong. There will be stuff regarding politics, entertainment, and miscellaneous events, so take these events I will talk about with a grain of salt. Here are 17 reasons why 2017 is worse than 2016.
1. Inducting our new president
Say what you want about your opinion on Trump. If you think I'm being politically ignorant, then whatever, because this is freedom of speech. His job as president not only made us Americans look like a joke, but he has barely done anything to make America "great" again. To give you an example, I used to work in an after-school program, and he wanted to eliminate it for good because he believed it was a waste of money. Jokes on you, Mr. President, but it has helped students all over the country, and you said you want to improve our education. Hypocrisy? I think yes!
2. Celebrity deaths
Just like last year, the celebrity deaths this year were extremely sad. Adam West, Chester Bennington, Tom Petty, Bill Paxton, and so much more. May they rest in peace. Thank you for your impact on pop culture.
3. Hurricane Irma
Along with Hurricane Harvey, the tropical storms were no joke. Puerto Rico suffered a ton during this time, losing power, homes, and lives. We hope they can hang on and stay strong.
4. Bombing in Manchester, England
When Ariana Grande's concert was bombed once it ended, we were all saddened by this unexpected attack. It left Ariana to tears. She felt guilty and it broke her fans' hearts. Thankfully, a benefit concert happened days later and it was touching and beautiful.
5. Las Vegas shooting
When the Harvest music festival occurred, it was a time of having fun and let loose. During that night, it was the opposite. With nearly 60 people dead and over 500 injured, this massacre ended up being the deadliest mass shooting one shooter in U.S. history.
6. An innocent man being tortured on Facebook Live
This was very scary. This was very wrong. The fact that the man had mental health issues made this more cruel and evil. Facebook Live should be used to connect with friends, family, and more, not use it to condemn violence. It is never the right answer, and by watching the video, we hope that there will be less violence in the future.
7. Most of the music this year
The music this year was not only disappointing but not that memorable. The only songs I can think of are Shape of You, Despacito, and That's What I Like. I prefer the latter because it's Bruno Mars and he's always great, but for the other songs, they need more work.
8. Anthony Padilla leaving Smosh
Smosh used to be my favorite YouTube channel, and as I got older, the content started to become less funny and not as memorable. Fans seem to agree, even though it looked like Anthony was having fun. With him leaving Smosh, that was when I decided to move on from it too. However, he and Ian are still best friends, and that is the most important thing to know.
9. The closing of DisneyQuest
Disney World is a part many kids' childhoods, and with DisneyQuest closed, it was a sad time. It will forever live on as one of the most recognizable places in Disney World.
10. Texas church shooting
I remember hearing this on the radio when my dad and I were heading back from Florida. The thought of someone causing violence in a place of worship is sad and unbearable to think about. Taking place at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, it became the state's deadliest mass shooting. Let us keep the victims in our thoughts and prayers.
11. Toys R Us bankrupted
Toys R Us will always be the go-to store back in the old days for parents to buy whatever toy they wanted. When it announced their bankruptcy, we were shocked to find out. Despite all of that, the stores will still remain open.
12. Sexual misconducts
Most of these misconducts might be scandals while others might be true. Harvey Weinstein has been accused of sexual assault, along with Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer, George Takei, and many more. Some of them lost their jobs because of this, and whether they are completely true or not, hopefully, they can still continue on to whatever path they will cross.
13. YouTube ad-pocalypse
YouTube is pretty much giving content creators a hard time. Demonetizing videos left and right means that YouTubers will have a hard time to pay their bills, food, and more. They work hard to provide great content, so seeing videos not getting the revenue they deserve is disappointing and unfair.
14. Wildfires in California
Given how it barely rains over there, the wildfires in California this year were dangerous and scary. It cost about thirteen billion dollars for the damages the fires caused.
15. Charlottesville rally
Neo-Nazis, supremacists, neo-Confederates, and more are what is wrong with America. Protests are one thing, but if it leads to violence, then it is done wrong. Hate crimes are unforgivable and pathetic, but it is a good thing we have moved on from those dark couple days.
16. Stephen Hillenburg diagnosed with ALS
The name might not be recognizable at first, but this is the man that has created Nickelodeon's most iconic cartoon show SpongeBob SquarePants. The fact that he will keep on working as much as he can show he is dedicated to his work, no matter what brings him down. Let us hope and pray that he will make it through okay.
17. Net Neutrality's fate
As of December 14th, the FCC decided to eliminate Net Neutrality on a 3-2 vote. It still has to go to court for it to official whether it will end or not. If it ends, then the Internet will not be as accessible as it is right now.
Unfortunately, there are other worse things that have happened this year. With this year coming to a close, let us hope that 2018 will bring a brighter future.
