text: Yes. The news tends to make people insensitive by the way it presents the most sensational view of what is happening with the world. For instance say there is some disaster it is presented and then we hear no more about it unless it is deemed newsworthy - the people living with that disaster can't just switch off, they're stuck with it. Because we can switch off at any time we cease to be shocked by the shocking. It gives us the pretence of being in control when we are really not.