Improving Society

Written By: Molly Spence

As of April 19, 2023, there have been 14 school shootings that ended in tragic losses or severe injuries, here in the United States since January 1st, 2023. In 2020, there were a whopping 96 school shootings, nationwide. But in 2021, that number skyrocketed to 202 school shootings. There have been 2,067 school shootings since 1970. Pennsylvania is in the top 10 states with the highest number of school shootings, with 54. According to a  survey result, one-third of students reported that they do not feel safe at school. And all of those students surveyed reported they need more social-emotional support and mental health support. (safeandsoundschools.org) I encourage you to read this but do know viewer discretion is advised, but it is very logical and statistical information, it is solely meant to demand some sort of change. This is the fifth and final installment of my new series. So I ask all of you the question, what’s more important, protecting the children’s lives when something actually happens or preventing these disasters from even happening in the first place?

Improving society doesn’t mean just improving on one fundamental topic. I mean sure, you can shoot for the stars to improve one topic such as bullying, but there’s a possibility that if you shoot for just one, other issues may erupt. Instead of just trying to improve one thing, try to improve everything. Instead of stopping bullying, try to stop the negativity, in general, don’t let it get to the point where it’s classified as bullying. Improve yourself, reflect on things that you could’ve done better or you could’ve done to help someone. Because it starts with one. It can start with you. When you change one thing, no matter how large or how small it is, it’s noticeable and people will realize it and be like, “Maybe I should start doing that too!” It’s a chain reaction, it can start a chain reaction. Something our generation struggles with is standing out because we have society against us. It’s okay to stand out, to be yourself, and to be the individual you truly are because in the end, 80 years down the line, these will be the good old days, you only live once, and if you don’t treat every day as something new and look at the potential everyday has for you, then 80 years down the line you’ll look back on your life in high school and wish you didn’t just go with the flow. You don’t want to live a life you’ll regret, because everyone makes mistakes but, it’s what you do after the mistake to improve yourself that counts. If you go with the flow, you won’t have any room for growth because you’ll be too focused on what the group is doing. 

If you don’t live your life to the fullest, then live your life to the emptiest. When you live your life to the emptiest you’ll realize how much you’re missing. You’ll realize how boring life is when you’re fitting in with society. If you have a full cup, over fill it so it can fill up other peoples’ cups too. But this isn’t about water or cups. 

Society should not have its claws around you, you should have your hands around it because you can change society. You can be the first step in the right direction for society. All of those posts you see on social media, I’m sorry to break it to you but,  they’re fake. People are only going to post the 3% of their lives, they aren’t going to post about the issues they face, and they aren’t going to post about the bad days, Do you know why? Because society is all about being fake, you can “fake it till you make it” all you want but truly, you know that’s not a reasonable way to deal with your problems. Social media is fake, it’s also a very depressing platform. People see pictures of people living the good life, with the bodies they want, with the relationships they want, with the lifestyle they want, with the happiness they want, and that’s how insecurities start because society says it’s only okay if you have the life these people on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, etc. have, and if you don’t, you’re not good enough. Tell me, just why? Why compare yourselves to people who are faker than Barbie dolls? By stopping the thought of comparing yourself to others, you can help improve society. Society will begin to change when you embrace who you truly are and not who these people on social media platforms are.

I hope my series, got you thinking. There needs to be a change in not only the educational environments but also in society. We, as a school district can help improve our society, our community and by doing so, the results will show. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, ”Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Let us be that change! So I’ll ask you again, what’s more important, protecting the children’s lives when something actually happens or preventing these disasters from even happening in the first place?