Julia's post | Quora

Are We Becoming Desensitized? Let’s Talk… Okay, real talk—have you ever scrolled through your feed and just felt…numb? Like, another sad news headline, another wild meme, another heartbreaking story…and deep down, it’s like, “Oh, just another day on the Internet.” Yikes. Isn’t it kind of scary how little we react sometimes? Or is it just me? 🤔 How Did We Get So Numb? I remember when I was younger—you’d see a shocking story on TV maybe once a week, and everyone would talk about it at school or work for days. Nowadays? It’s like: violent video, tragedy in the world, someone’s “canceled”, hilarious animal meme, repeat. All in a five-minute scroll! Has anyone else noticed this? Let’s get real: we’re hit with so much content 24/7 that it’s impossible to react to everything. Our brains? Kinda like, “Nope, too much, shutting down.” I mean, I’ve literally found myself just flicking past distressing photos like I’m skipping ads. And that’s not the best feeling, TBH. It’s Not Just the Bad Stuff And honestly, it’s not just about negative news—we even get desensitized to the good stuff! Like, someone achieves something amazing and gets thousands of likes, but next minute it’s gone, buried under the next wave of content. Remember when a heartwarming story actually stuck with you for days? Now, we’re lucky if it lasts a few seconds in our minds before a TikTok dance steals our attention. Confession Time: My Numb Moments Gotta be honest—last month, I scrolled past a post about a severe earthquake. Like, *immediately* moved on to a cute hedgehog video. Then suddenly, it hit me: Wait, what’s wrong with me? Am I just cold? I thought about it for hours. And guess what? A lot of my friends admitted they’d felt the same way. We’re literally flooded with so much emotion online, sometimes it’s like our hearts put on raincoats to keep from getting soaked. ☔ Why This Matters (And What We Can Do) Look, I get it—if we felt everything deeply all the time, we’d be a mess. (Shoutout to my fellow overthinkers and “empath” types lol 🙋♀️🙋♂️). But being desensitized isn’t great either. It means we risk becoming less compassionate, less human…and that’s just not who I wanna be. So, here’s what I started trying (not perfect at it, but hey): Take a break when I notice I’m scrolling mindlessly 🚫📱 Actually pause, process, and feel something—even if it’s uncomfortable Support causes or people I care about, instead of just moving on Talk to friends about it—turns out, most people totally get this! Not groundbreaking stuff, but it helps me remember: there’s real meaning behind all these stories. Final Thoughts 💭 I don’t have all the answers. But if you’ve ever paused and thought, “Is it weird I’m not feeling anything anymore?”—it’s not just you. The world’s a wild place, and our brains try to protect us. But maybe sometimes, it’s worth letting ourselves feel, even when it hurts. Maybe that’s what keeps us connected, keeps us human. ✨ Have you noticed yourself becoming desensitized, too? Let’s talk in the comments 👇—I’m kinda craving a real convo about this.