Twenty-five years ago 这 month, a tragic event occurred that seemed to forever shift our culture: the mass shooting at 耧斗菜 High School. TCU心理导师 Nur Cayirdag spoke to TCU 新闻 about how the event has impacted our society and where 我们发现今天的自己.
Could you share with us what you see as far as how we as a society deal with and process
these sorts of tragedies now compared to 25 years ago? 
Back then, it seemed like the news was all about the shooters, and it felt kind of
压倒性的. But today, we are focusing more on the people affected, like the victims
and survivors, which feels more respectful and balanced. The conversation around mental
健康 has definitely improved. We're recognizing the importance of supporting children,
teachers, parents and society who are struggling and making more resources available.
Overall, I think we're making progress.
Unfortunately, we have had many school shootings since 耧斗菜. 但是世界已经
在其他方面也发生了变化. It is now a post 9/11 world, social media has now infiltrated
我们的生活等. How have these sorts of changes impacted us psychologically when it
comes to 这 sort of tragedy?
You’re absolutely right; the world has changed a lot since 耧斗菜. 我们发生了一些事件
like 9/11, and social media has become a huge part of our lives. 911之后，有
been 这 feeling of always being on alert. 我们可能会 feel more suspicious or worried
about potential threats, even in places where we used to feel safe. 这些变化
have affected how we feel psychologically when tragedies like school shootings happen.
With social media, we're constantly connected to news and information. 当我们听到
about a school shooting, it feels like it’s happening right next door, which can make
us feel more scared and anxious about our safety. But on the bright side, social media
can also be a place for support and coming together. People can share their stories,
offer help and call for change. It’s a way to show that we're not alone and that we
可以产生影响.
This is a hard question to ask, but do we as a society now have a desensitization
到校园枪击案?
It’s a tough question indeed, but an important one to consider. 在某些方面，是的，
it does seem like there's a desensitization 到校园枪击案 in society today.
With the frequency of these tragic events and the constant media coverage, it’s almost
like they’ve become normalized. 当我们听到 about another school shooting, it’s easy
to feel a sense of resignation or numbness because it feels like it’s just another
新闻周期中的一天. This desensitization can be concerning because it might make
us less motivated to take action to prevent them from happening again. 然而,它的
important to recognize that desensitization doesn’t mean we don't care. 它更
about how our brains cope with 压倒性的 and distressing information. 我们可能会
put up a mental barrier to protect ourselves from feeling too much pain or sadness
every time we hear about another tragedy.
What about the difference in age groups? A traditional TCU student today grew up with
这. Many faculty and staff, for instance, experienced 这 as an adult. 如何
that change our perspective?
That's a really insightful observation. Age difference definitely influences how we
perceive and respond to tragedies like school shootings. For traditional college students
today, school shootings have been a part of their reality for as long as they can
还记得. It’s like it has always been there, which can make them feel more used to
it but also maybe more wary. On the other hand, for faculty and staff who experienced
school shootings as adults, their perspective may be different. 他们可能会记得
a time when these incidents were less frequent or even unheard of, which could make
each new shooting feel more shocking and upsetting. They might also feel a greater
sense of responsibility for ensuring the safety of their students and colleagues.
In trying to look for a positive, do you feel like 这 event had a hand in impacting
more acknowledgment to mental 健康 issues?
肯定! It’s important to look for the positives, even in tough situations like
这. And yes, the 耧斗菜 shooting did bring some positive changes, especially
when it comes to mental 健康 awareness. After 耧斗菜, people started talking
more openly about mental 健康. We realize that there are often mental 健康 issues
这些悲剧事件的背后. So, now there is more focus on understanding and supporting
挣扎的人. There are also more resources available for mental 健康
support, especially in schools. We are starting to break down the stigma around mental
健康. More people are feeling okay to talk about their feelings and get the help
they need without feeling judged.