3 ms·
The really insane thing is this: we have never in all of human history been safer. Crime is at a 50 year low, and nearly everyone has health care. Not only tha
by api 10y ago
The really insane thing is this: we have never in all of human history been safer.
Crime is at a 50 year low, and nearly everyone has health care. Not only that but more than two thirds of the population carries a location aware communication device that can be used to summon help almost anywhere in minutes.
I sometimes wonder if this is in fact the problem. Maybe we are so wired for scarcity and danger that we become neurotic and paranoid in its absence. It's analogous to the 'hygiene hypothesis' for allergies.
- daeken 10y agoI think there's a simpler explanation: observation bias. 30 years ago there was more crime, but if it didn't happen in your town or to someone you knew, you were pretty unlikely to hear about it. Now, there's less crime but we're orders of magnitude more likely to hear about it. IMO, this is a side-effect of 24-hour news networks and social media needing something to fill the dead air.
- sotojuan 10y agoThe media didn't help, starting (maybe before) with the film Kids then continuing on to news about school shootings and "catch a predator" shows.
- WalterBright 10y agoEssentially, if it's a problem you read about in the newspaper, it is highly unlikely to affect you. Consider that the newspaper doesn't report car accidents, cancer diagnoses, etc.
- warkdarrior 10y agoWhat are you talking about? Last month Jax from American Idol was diagnosed with cancer and the news outlets were prompt in reporting it. https://www.yahoo.com/music/american-idol-star-jax-speaks-out-about-cancer-battle-at-age-20-214349084.html https://www.yahoo.com/music/american-idol-star-jax-speaks-ou...
- WalterBright 10y agoHe's a celebrity.