Throughout the years, we have continued to see a rise in the amount of political content on social media platforms. Social media helps us stay informed of current events. After years of watching the genocide in Palestine, the decimation of Ukraine and now the war with Iran, desensitization of political violence is unbridled.

Apps such as TikTok churn out approximately 14 million videos daily, many as short as 15 seconds, according to the California Learning Resource Network. With content ranging from niches to worldwide trends, you can find political content of any position. Social media is not a reliable source, so every piece of information received must be taken with caution. Not all information is presented unbiased and properly informed.

Content frequently includes theatrics, such as music and sound effects, which influence our emotions. For example, when music in a scary movie prepares you for a jump scare, music accompanying politically violent posts can affect our response. This pairing can desensitize its topic, thus decreasing the impact it should be having on its viewers.

 However, this does not mean that the content social media content creators are producing is irrelevant—much of this information is essential. Delivering news on these platforms informs the public of current events. Although a certain post may be biased, misinformed or overly theatric, the general knowledge of an event is beneficial to staying aware of worldly occurrences.

Even though social media is a positive way to reach young adults, it is not always effective. Content that does not interest the viewer is often overlooked and is easily done with a simple scroll or click.

The overproduction of many “newsworthy” topics created today is a contributor to the lack of interest from the public in real problems of the world. One minute I find myself reading headlines featuring the U.S.-Iran war and the next I am reading headlines about The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. So many nonessential topics are featured along with essential political content that makes it easy to normalize violent acts.

As this continues, future generations will lack empathy and compassion for real world problems. The next war may very well be similar to the next Keeping Up with the Kardashians for the public.