The ability to feel emotion is not something that can be taught; it must come from within. However, today's generation is becoming numb to the suffering around them. Unless something has a direct impact in their lives, it does not seem to resonate with them. Through social media and constant news coverage, today's youth has become more informed about current events than any other generation before at such a young age. Although there are positive aspects of the rapid spread of information made possible with technology, it does take a toll on the brains of the youth.
Most children in America have access to the internet, which allows them to see things online that they would not be exposed to elsewhere. Although some websites do have age restrictions, it is not difficult to surpass those with a simple click of the "yes, I am 18 years old" button. Even without going on restricted sites such as these, children can see disturbing images through video games or even the content in the news or on the radio.
I constantly hear about mass shootings happening at schools and terrorist attacks in different parts of the world. As a high school student, the news of school shootings should pull at my heartstrings and create an unshakeable sense of fear inside of me; and the first time I heard about it, I did feel terrified and shocked. I wondered how a person could do such a thing to little children who are simply trying to get an education. What could possibly make someone so angry that they could harm so many innocent people? Seeing the parents of those unfortunate children crying and mourning completely shattered my heart, and I remember the bitter and empty feeling I had inside of me when I walked into my own school building the next day. I hoped more than anything that my parents would never have to feel the pain that I had seen on the faces of those on the news. However, after hearing about mass shootings again and again and again, we're tired. We're tired of the heartbreak; we're tired of the uncountable deaths; and we're tired of the fact that there is not much we can do to change it. After hearing all of these sad stories, we just want to see things get better. But how? Hearing about the mass shootings doesn't break our hearts as much anymore; it just makes us feel disappointed and frustrated about the fact that things are not getting better.
Unfortunately, becoming desensitized to such information is a natural human response. No matter how compassionate or down to earth you are, you will not feel the same sorrow every time you hear about a tragic event. In fact, each time you hear it, it will hurt less and eventually, you will become numb to it. Think about it this way: A comedian tells you a really funny joke that makes you laugh very hard. Later that day, your friend tells you the same joke and maybe you'll chuckle a little, but it won't be nearly as funny as when the comedian said it. By the end of the day, if you hear it again, you probably won't laugh at all.
When we lose our emotional connection to tragic situations, we are less motivated to fix the problem. When deaths start to become nothing but statistics in our minds, we become less compassionate. When we become desensitized, our sense of what is right and wrong is altered. Our emotions and sensitivity make us human, and that is something we must fight to hold onto.
