This is the wrong time to be desensitized 

This decade has been defined by international conflict. Both of the decades-long wars between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Palestine reached their crux and up until two weeks ago, war seemed out of our reach. Now, with the possibility that the very violence some people across generations have turned a blind eye could impact all of our lives, they are pretending like it isn’t. Since the United State’s’ bombing of Iran just last month, I have seen people approach this unprecedented time with a lack of urgency that makes light of an increasingly serious situation. This has been the closest our country has been to a full-fledged multi-country war in my lifetime, and so far, I have seen nothing but apathy. The idea of brushing off real- world issues might have been an approach that helped us cope but now our desensitization as a country needs to be analyzed. 

Whenever soldiers are getting ready for high-stakes operations or a significantly dangerous deployment, they will be fed luxurious meals in what’s called the “calm before the storm.” Following the events that started the conversation of a war with Iran, a video of a US soldier eating a meal of steak and crab legs went viral. Where this should’ve been a space to consider the severity of the situation, the comments said otherwise. They warned her to look at the news, thanked the soldier for her service “in advance” and even wished her goodbye as if she was already dead. Coming from a generation that often makes jokes out of serious situations, this may seem like an expected reaction. However, we have to look around and realize that this is not something to make light of. 

 I would expect more of a public outcry from everyone, especially from our generation. Historically, we have used social media as a means of speaking out against authority and creating change, as seen through the BLM protests, conversations about gun control and countless other political and social movements. When considering a war that was caused primarily by the actions of this administration, it would not be out of character for us to speak out. Contrary to what I expected, the traction that the war gets on social media downplays the situation. It seems that instead of using platforms to our advantage, there is a shift to make light of these dark times to try to cope with the whiplash of this administration.  

 Throughout Trump’s second term there has never been a lack of news, with each day adding to the long list of outlandish presidential actions he has already taken. It’s a lot to take in every single thing that is done on a daily basis, and many people have deemed it unproductive to voice their opinions. Through all of the good that has come out of protesting, it is sad to see that in some areas our spark is dying down, and the lack of change is triumphing over the good that has already been done. The pivot to choosing to be unfazed or desensitized to the actions of this administration could not have come at a worse time. If we continue to turn a blind eye to the seriousness of a developing war with Iran, who’s to say we will not be too numb to care when we need to the most. This is no longer just using humor to cope, it is blatantly ignoring the severity of a situation that we should all care more about. 

In seeing such a weak reaction among Gen-Z, it reminds us how these unusual times are starting to become routine. As we settle into a war, which should make us livid, we’re allowing the government to continue testing the waters with how far they can go. In all of the time we have considered ourselves a “first world country” and lived in that mindset, we removed ourselves further from the possibility that a war could happen. So, as the conflict with Iran, and inevitably with other countries, progresses, we should be reminded that our privilege does not exempt us from the consequences of our president’s actions. It becomes much more important to not be complacent. If we return back to our desensitization and allow ourselves to feel, we can get angry about things we want to be different, and with enough of it, we may see real change.