Human beings are truly intriguing creatures. History has shown that as a race we are capable of performing acts that demonstrate altruism in its purest of forms and acts that cause unimaginable pain and destruction. It is a consequence of our nature that will never subside and always have a very large impact on not just our future as a species, but the entire planet as a whole. A growing population coupled with limited space has seen the world become victim to a number of malaises of varying natures. Social conflicts, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters are but a handful of worrying events that are continuous and often occur in tandem. While such events lead to ramifications that are often obvious for those stuck in their midst, their effect may go unnoticed on those who continue to live their daily lives unaffected.
Even though, the elderly may often look back on days gone by and reminisce about how simple and great life was when they were young, actual events may contradict them. In fact, it can be argued that history has repeated itself with similar events and issues over a number of decades.
For instance, while generations gone by may not have had to deal with the same kind of exposure to terrible diseases that are currently rampant such as HIV and bird-flu, many of their generation succumbed to equally debilitating illnesses in the form of polio and small-pox. Political conflict too, has continued in similar vein. One must take into account the two-world wars when comparing destruction across recent and past eras.
It is possible that things seem better the further we roll years back because people did not have the kind of access to information that exists nowadays. Technology has allowed us to remain up to speed with every single development in almost every sphere of life.
While it is important to remain informed and aware of what is going on around us, we run the risk of becoming inundated with knowledge, much of which is far from pleasant. Combined with the inevitable daily stresses that every person constantly faces, being privy to the pain of others or amount of turmoil in the world can be quite overwhelming.
Thus, it is not hard to understand why it has been found that stress and anxiety levels have been rising sharply in the United States. No matter how much people detach themselves from what they read, hear or see, it is bound to affect them on some level. We live in a world where technology has made it possible for what is out of sight to no longer just remain out of mind. Rather, it can have a profound effect on us.
It is important to find a balance between remaining well-informed and becoming bogged down by the volume of distressful news events. Despite there being much wrong with the world today, I believe there is more good than bad even if we do not always get to see it.
It is interesting to note that the number of hits the word “love” receives on the search engine Google far exceeds those for the word “fear.” While this may not mean much to some, many would choose to believe that it actually sums human nature up quite neatly.
Akbar is a junior majoring in psychology and business.
