Originally Posted by
Satsuki
Unfortunately, I don't think it's a population issue - again, there are countries with far bigger population issues and it doesn't result in gun violence.
I was trying to theorize last night about what sort of cohort effect would have a hand in school shootings, but it's even a little difficult to find accurate, long term data about what age the school shooters are typically (56% under 18, the rest 21+ - somewhat negligible in numbers.) So, what happened in the last 21 years that would have a lasting impression on a potential shooter, and cause him to act? Our stratification has grown exponentially at this time - but would this have a direct or indirect effect on a shooter? It's been proven that economics have little effect on violent crime. (The only things that increase noticeably during this time are car thefts and drug use.)
The one thing that I could pin down is of course, technology. the internet. The rising accessibility of the internet during these past ~21 years has meant that there is a computer in every home, a phone in every pocket. Now, I'm not a luddite by any, any stretch of the imagination (obviously) but I am curious about the impacts of this much information and connection being available, and the lack of ACCURATE information on the subject. I don't believe in "internet addiction" any more than I believe in "car addiction" or "chair addiction." There will be individuals out there who are out of control no matter what the media. But, we do not offer any education in the field of internet usage at a young age. Even a library catalogue card system has a learning curve, and we learn(ed?) that when we were younger. (At least, we may have been the last generation to, not sure if kids are even taught it via computer anymore.)
If we are going to trust the internet with our jobs, economy, communication, entertainment, etc - we HAVE to teach it at a young age, and teach "browsing habits." About how to process the information we receive. About how to communicate with others digitally versus face-to-face. Because we're currently trusting the internet to self educate on crime, deviance, subculture, etc. The lack of honest, real information on this topic (internet education) is astounding. Obviously there's scholarly works - but what about basic internet skills in an elementary school curriculum, next to math, english, PE? I believe that this exponential rise in knowledge (for good and bad) via the internet is having a strong impact on children and young adults. Again - I don't advocate for taking away computers or phones, that's counterintuitive - but we NEED to stress that the internet is not just a toy you can put in the closet when you're done with it, and that it a tool that needs to have a basic manual when you're introduced to it.
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