Everything Feels Transformational (But Is Anything Changing?)

With the current events happening in the world today, it can be difficult to find any glimpse of a silver lining. With crisis stacking on crisis, and each new wave of breaking news bringing negative updates, it seems like, as a whole, the world is heading towards a dangerous, climactic breaking point. We are living through historic moments daily now, but it can feel like there is no movement toward actual structural shifts in society. With political scandals becoming memes within days, environmental crises becoming evident with each polar vortex, and a feeling that we are collectively aware but not active, hope may appear diminished. We are more informed than any generation before us, and yet it sometimes feels as though we are no closer to collective action. So, what does it say about humanity when awareness no longer leads to action?

We seem to be stuck in a cycle where the state of the world feels urgent, yet large-scale change remains limited. We become informed, but we are fatigued of constant information and are desensitised to shocking topics, so (in an effort to preserve normalcy) we retreat to the routine of mundane life in an attempt to stay positive. This normalisation of persistent crisis conditions has caused us to become overly optimistic, hoping that responsibility will be assumed by others, bringing accountability and progress. Evidence provides a more complex reality. To work toward a better world, we must turn and face the fact that America, similar to many regions around the world, is in a state of war, distress, and division. Optimism, when detached from action, risks becoming avoidance rather than hope.

Where do we start when there are so many problems that need attention? Who do we turn to for assistance? Wildfires, flooding, and snowstorms: these are once-in-a-lifetime natural disasters that are now happening every year. Science is showing that the three-year stretch between 2023 and 2025 was the warmest on record. CO2 reached a new high of 422.8 parts per million in 2024, and no sign of improvement through 2026. The rate of warming has leapt three times as fast since 1982. Based on still-forming 2026 data, global warming is still accelerating. The 2026 polar vortex is an example of the rapid growth of global warming. Along with natural disasters and weather incidents, the world is dealing with humanitarian crises and war. Over 300 million people are experiencing famine, poverty, and displacement right now in places such as Gaza/Israel, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ukraine. The dire conditions of these places dominate global headlines and then fade from view as they are replaced by another tragic update.

My concern no longer lies in the state of emergency that many places around the world are in. My personal concern now lies in the lack of urgency to resolve these issues, with the most glaring one at the forefront of my mind being elite impunity. High-profile cases involving corruption, abuse of power, and elite networks receive public attention but result in limited accountability. Because of this, America - a country recognised for being built on immigrants, inclusivity, differences, and freedom - is evolving toward a new period of institutional scrutiny and civic unrest. According to reports, there were more than 10,700 protests in 2025, a 133% jump from the 4,588 recorded in 2017 during President Donald Trump's first term. Regardless of your political orientation, this period of time represents a historical moment.

The defining tension of this period of time does not lie within the lack of awareness, but in the lack of activity to make things better. Things feel transformational because crises are constant, and we receive information continually, but beneath the intensity, the powers that shape responsibility and accountability remain largely unchanged. We risk settling into stagnation, offering the illusion of progress whilst the structures that sustain these crises do not change. Until society confronts the unsettling gap between awareness and action, transformation will continue to be something we feel, rather than something we can achieve together.

As a freshman in college, I believe it is my responsibility to pursue a degree in something that will not only serve myself and my personal goals but also the greater good. I want to contribute something to society, and journalism provides a path to that goal. Facing job cuts, magazine and newspaper closures, and an 11% projected drop in reporter employment by 2032, journalism seems like a dying profession. However, it is the traditional media that is failing, not independent, creator-led programs. An acquaintance mentioned in a recent conversation of ours that "Journalism is one of the few professions that will directly contribute to fixing this stuff [referring to the multiple current crises around the world] and it is the kind of career you can be proud of." If my work can contribute to bringing awareness to global issues, trends, and hot topics, then I will be pursuing a fulfilling career.

Closing the gap between knowing and doing requires people to ask uncomfortable questions, hold institutions accountable, and keep public attention where it is inconvenient and needed. Journalism exists between that gap, and by choosing this path, I am committing to fighting against stagnation. Awareness without accountability creates apathy, and optimism without effort becomes avoidance. Journalism has consistently challenged elite impunity and normalisation. Hope (which is what everyone seems to be seeking now) can be found in collective pressure toward consequence. Without broader public participation, meaningful change is unlikely. Ethical reporting and sustained attention will bridge the gap between action and awareness, defining this historical period in the years to come.

Works Cited

Lan, Xin, et al. “Trends in Globally-Averaged CO₂ Determined from NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory Measurements.” Global Monitoring Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, updated 5 Feb. 2026, gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.

Climate Action Tracker. “Little Change in Warming Outlook for Four Years; New 2035 Climate Targets Make No Difference.” Climate Action Tracker, 13 Nov. 2025, climateactiontracker.org/publications/warming-projections-global-update-2025/. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.

Witherspoon, Andrew. “’Very Historic Time’: US Protests Have Jumped Since Trump’s First Term.” The Guardian, 19 Jan. 2026, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/19/trump-protests-data. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.