Effects Of Technology On Mass Shootings

1) As many others have mentioned, there seems to be many factors that could be contributing to the commonplace of mass shooting, such as poor gun control or the prevalence of mental illness and how it is treated. But the factor that interests me the most is technology. For starters, there is the technology of the guns themselves. Obviously when weapons like assault rifles are invented, the body count of mass murders can go up. Another piece of technology that has probably affected the prevalence of mass murders would be the Internet. First of all, the Internet has made the access of mass murder weapons much easier. Secondly, it has allowed people with similar interests and mindsets to connect with each other in ways unimaginable 50 years ago. I feel that when many people who have a dangerous mindset are paired together, they can exponentially become more

Many solutions, like stronger gun control laws or screening for mental illnesses, balance on the fine line between protection and free will. I really liked the quote at the end of our reading on page 251 where Fox states that “this kind of tragedy is one of the unfortunate prices we pay for our freedom.” I think this quote sums up the reality of this situation: if the government is going to try to control mass shootings, something has to be sacrificed somewhere. Honestly, I don’t think much change can be made through policies. A “top-down” approach will only be resisted by the general public or ignored by those committing the shootings. If a “top-down” approach won’t work, that leaves a “bottom-down” approach. I think this would entail raising each child with respect and good morals in a healthy environment (which is another issue by itself) and educating people how to help and monitor those around them. I won’t say that these objectives would be easy or even possible to achieve, but they are the only ideas I have for truly reducing mass