Has mass media caused mass hysteria? By: Desiree Pratt 

With the invention of technology, humans can't help but evolve. From self-driving cars to phones that can track you anywhere, anytime, and any place, life is what some would call a breeze.  Unfortunately, when society sees a phone, technology isn't the only thing you see as social media comes with it. Social media has allowed its users to share content in a matter of seconds, and viewers being able to react or respond in seconds quicker than that. Truly an invention that was so ahead of its time and as it continues to grow, society falls more in love with it. But unfortunately, like weeds, when their growth isn't checked it could take over. 

It has been 5 years since the COVID-19 pandemic that forced all of humanity to go into isolation, but the repercussion from that pandemic eats society alive every day. Especially with the surge of use of technology during that time, being on social media is not the same. Many feel that during the pandemic it was all they ever heard about, which in return only made them feel more scared. Coach Adams, a teacher and coach at Hillgrove, expressed that, “It was all the media talked about, but it was also all that was going on during the pandemic. I think the opinions and the constant blame of COVID to all of the deaths caused more panic than necessary. A number of the people that passed away had underlying health conditions that may have contributed more to their death rather than the actual COVID virus. However, that isn’t what the media wanted you to think at the time.” The research that society would have conducted on their own, might be going as far as just watching the news. Many people rely on the news & media to publicize situations like these in a truthful way, but many people don't understand that in many cases news outlets are not covering the whole story. Dr. Bailey, a teacher at Hillgrove, stated, “Unfortunately, many news stations have political agendas, which change how they frame stories. I hate to keep coming back to the pandemic, but while one news station might make you feel like you were going to die if you went without wearing a mask, the other might have you feeling like there was no need for a mask.” Once that information is released into the world, it could be contorted in a way that is untruthful. In many cases, even when society investigates history, situations like these leave a nation very divided. Many experts have expressed that it's important to divulge into your own research and form your own opinion on the matter. Dr. Bailey adding on, “When you see millions of people having similar views, it can begin to make you question your own ideology. Thats why it's important to do your research on a topic. Following the masses shouldn't be the default behavior.” 

It’s human nature to follow the crowd, but in times like these, it’s important to try not to repeat history and turn off devices when they begin to have a negative impact. Coach Adams concluded that, “Hysteria never solves any problems. The media has to be very careful about the narratives and bias they create. Instead of trying to place blame on people and situations, it would be so much more beneficial for media to help relay ideas about solutions to problems.” Be the help that the media needs right now.