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So I think it's official for me, the media numbed my feelings for tragedy.

When I woke up yesterday my mom told me of the quake in Pakistan. About 30000 people presumed dead. I was like "Darn, 30.000... that's a lot". But basically, after the convo I did not really care about it much. Come to think about it, it was the same with the big tsunami in Asia last christmas/new year.

So, the question is: Am I a heartless prick or did I become numb because of the constant feed of tragedy in the news? Share views on it, and how such stuff affects you.

I haven't read much or seen much about the recent earthquake.. I haven't been watching much tv lately but the tsunami's I followed and that hit me pretty hard, as well as hurricane Katrina. After the tsuanmi's I tried (unsuccessfully) to somehow become involved with the Red Cross or some organization that would be willing to send me overseas so I could help in the relief/clean up efforts .. help rebuild, that sort of thing. I'm nowhere near qualified to get in with the Red Cross though. I did the same thing after hurricane Katrina and tried again .. I contacted the Red Cross and went through the qualifications but they're really strict. I would love to become an international delegate so I can be sent overseas .. or to the US in hurricane Katrina's case but I'm not bilingual and I don't have a university degree, just college .. and a few other things like the lack of a license is preventing me from doing anything like that.

So to sum it up, tragedies like that affect me pretty strongly. In the case of hurricane Katrina I was trying to get in with the Humane Society of the United States because of the thousands upon thousands of animals that had been left behind to die (because the government is a bunch of heartless pricks and wouldn't allow people to take their animals with them) and for weeks after they were going door to door rescuing them and setting up shelters... I hate feeling so helpless and not able to do anything but watch. The images on tv were heart breaking.

Yeah, that's exactly why I try not to watch the news.

I'm certainly not desensitized to it... though sometimes I wish I were.

I guess I'm desensitized to it too, because I watch the news for at least a few hours a day. I love the news, and I hate when I don't know whats going on in the world. That being said, it is really hard to be really impacted by things you see. I mean, there's the "wow, that sucks" factor, but seriously, I don't think any of us really have any idea what a large tragedy would be like.

My brother was home for christmas during the tsunami, and he was as unaffected as I was, but then when he went back to ottawa, he got involved with with a small ngo and sent himself and three other students to sri lanka to do research on programs that had already been set up. After being there, he talks about the tsunami completely differently.

I hate myself for not being all that impacted. I mean, there are times that I cry at things I see, but I want to be a journalist. There are some moral questions I'm going to have to ask myself before I commit myself to becoming one.

I've become numb to tragedy through tv now too. the news has it on everyday, you never hear about the good stuff. so i've just ignored it. Unless someone blows up something close to my heart. I think I'm about done for caring about everyone else's problems

It depends on how much discussion I get. If I am around my parents I feel really struck by it, because we discuss the news. At school, it's harder to find time to watch the news and read the paper. And after I find out, I think, "It's really not getting any better. This sucks". But then I just go back to myself. I don't think it's necessarily all the news' fault. I think it's the media in general. I mean, my brother plays games where the goal is to kill everyone else. Don't tell me that doesn't desensitize you.

i've mostly become desensitized to it. this earthquake hits a little close to heart for me though, since i grew up in pakistan. my uncle and cousins live in islamabad, where the earthquake hit, but thank God they're alright. i was watching the news about the rescue efforts on the plane today, and they showed a scene of a boy crying, and i started to tear up. i wish there was something i could do

Wow. That's just sick. I mean, that the media has caused people to become numb to tragedy like that, it's sad. I think that now that you guys mention it, you're right. When I see things like that on the news, I mean it effects me but not like it should. I think I feel the same response as "Damn, 30,000. That's a lot." And I care, and it makes me sad, but that's a LOT of people, and seeing it on tv every single day, you just can't find the emotions it deserves all the time. Wow. I try not to watch the news even, because it's like I don't want to know. I don't know, it's just sad that the media could do that to people. There goes emotion. There goes caring people. There goes people helping others. There goes kindness. And sympathy. Enter fakeness. Enter lies. Enter top news stories, premotions, front pages. Gah, now I'm all riled up haha.
Sorry if I've offended anyone here.

Don't worry about offending people round these parts, Katie. Takes something pretty controversial to do that.

Nikki highly offends me! >:O

Its weird because I watch all the death and fighting on the news and almost now i'm totally jaded towards it, but when I saw about this police dog dying in the line of fire, I bawled.

I like animals more than people.

closeyoureyes wrote:
I like animals more than people.

"So, how much does tragedy in the world actually touch you?"


not much

I find this to be an interesting topic and I'm sorry for digging it back up. I am sometimes deeply affected by certain events that happen in the world and have been known to spontaneously cry while watching the news. Because of this I've tried to avoid watching the news for awhile, but it bothers me to not know what's going on in the world.

The tsunami, hurricanes, earthquakes, wars... the footage we see from these events haunts me, but I'm becoming more numb to it than I used to be. I know there is nothing I can do to directly help so I try not to get worked up.

Instead I focus my efforts on local charitable organizations where I know I can make a difference with just a few hours of my time on a regular basis. I've been volunteering for years and I find it very personally rewarding. Christmas was a busy time as I led a food drive, ran an Angel Tree toy drive, gathered my colleagues together for shifts at our local food bank, etc. I was stressed and exhausted from all the hours of planning and organizing everything, but it was definitely worth it!

People always ask why I volunteer so many hours around Christmas time. I grew up extremely poor... we didn't eat three times a day because we didn't have enough food, and we got toys and food each Christmas from our local food bank. So, people I didn't/don't know helped out my family at Christmas and they were the only reason we had gifts under the tree some years. I will give back to my community in similar ways every Christmas until I am no longer able to.

Hmm...not sure why I felt like sharing this today. Sorry for the long post...

i'd say impressive. lots of people like you don't get enough credit for what you do.

What a sweet (yet sad ) story.

don't ask why wrote:i'd say impressive. lots of people like you don't get enough credit for what you do.

Thanks I don't volunteer to be recognized for it, but I have a couple of awards for volunteerism and I was nominated to our be vice-chair of our volunteer council at my organization.

But to be honest the recognition makes me self-conscious/shy/uneasy... I don't like to be in the spotlight

nikki4982 wrote:What a sweet (yet sad ) story.

Hey... no sad faces!

I know it's quite sad, but I've gotten where I am today because of my what I went through as a child & teenager, and I know I'm a stronger person for it. I try to look on the bright side, though it's often difficult

1 death is a tragedy 1 million a statistic. It's always hard to conceptualise a 6 figure death toll. It's not as personal as one.

thanks for that, stalin.