Problem
Numbing of public response to suffering
Other Names:
Over-exposure to suffering through television Nature:
Repeated exposure to human tragedy has a progressive numbing effect which erodes active compassion and any ability to act. Images of symbolic concern on television are then used to neutralize images of actual suffering.
People throughout the world tend to be guided by the media -- predominantly Western media -- in determining when a problem warrants international action. Television coverage of a situation has become, for many, a precondition for action. Yet for most commercial networks, the precondition for coverage is crisis. There has to be large-scale violence, destruction, or death before the media takes notice. Until that happens, governments are not under serious internal pressure to act. And by then, the international community's options have usually been narrowed, and made more difficult to implement effectively.
Broader Problems:
Numbness towards others Aggravates:
Compassion fatigue Subject(s):
Government → PublicTransportation, Telecommunications → Television
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
G: Very specific problems Date of last update
04.10.2020 – 22:48 CEST