Content warning: mass shootings and depression
It’s no secret that mass shootings are becoming more and more of an issue in the US. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a mass shooting is defined as an event with a minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed. Well…since 2023 began, there have already been 160 mass shootings. That’s more mass shootings than there’s been days.
As gun violence continues to become another regular aspect of American life, so does anxiety concerning the probability of another mass shooting occurring. This stress, dubbed ‘mass shooting anxiety,’ is 100% real. No, those who experience mass shooting anxiety on a regular basis are not just “overreacting.” You may know someone (or it may even be you yourself) who tries their best to avoid public spaces and events, sometimes taking drastic measures to steer clear of a supposed threat occurring.
Personally, I know some UCF students who have told me that they don’t feel safe going to concerts or places of worship anymore out of fear of a mass shooting occurring (and with the bill allowing Floridians to carry guns without a government-issued permit recently passed by DeSantis, can you blame them?).
When I was in high school, my friends regularly feared going to school. We had an active shooter drill each year to the point where it was standard; after a while, nobody would bat an eye when we were confined to sixth or first period for the rest of the school day. Especially in an era where cases of depression and anxiety are on the rise, students, along with your average American, now have to struggle with anxiety over mass shootings.
We live in an age where mass shooting anxiety is now a normal occurrence. And while this anxiety is certainly valid, we can’t allow ourselves to become crippled by it.
If we were to worry about a mass shooting occurring everywhere we went in America, then we would never leave our homes. We would literally become hermit crabs. Going outside is good for our mental and physical wellness and has so many benefits that we can’t allow ourselves to stay sheltered.
So what can we do to not feel completely helpless?
For one, you can start by limiting your media consumption. Social media and news reporting inadvertently play a huge role in perpetuating fear of mass shootings, and it can be paralyzing to consume that negative information on a day-to-day basis.
If that doesn’t feel like something you can do, then educating yourself on the likelihood of mass shootings and the gun regulations in your state might be comforting, as well as practicing standard anxiety grounding techniques.
If you’re feeling anxious about gun violence, then trust me, you’re not alone. Getting rid of mass shootings for good may not happen tomorrow, but until then, don’t let these disasters get the best of you.