Reminiscing on past years can be one of two things: either joyful or absolutely terrifying. Each year is branded with different memories that hold different values for each person; whether it is a new political ideology , personal growth , and newly achieved goals. The anticipation for change is enough to strain a person, especially in years to come, where we hope that society improves for the better and wait to see what the future holds.
Not every movement in society contains a positive outlook. With the last few months of 2017 ending with Donald Trump’s antagonistic relations with North Korea, devastating weather in Texas, and the pervasive legacy of police brutality. All of this has an impact on Canadians far and wide, along with the United States.
What daunts people about the negative side of life we are so overexposed to through the news is that it can prevent us from seeing the positive side of life and society’s greatest innovations. In 2017, three countries—Australia, Malta and Germany—voted to legalize same-sex marriage, which was a huge step in LGBTQ+ love and acceptance. This, in and of itself, is a major accomplishment.
The worldwide changes for a better environment did not end there. El Salvador became the first country in the world to ban mining to prevent diminishing resources, France fashion giants made having a healthy Body Mass Index mandatory to walk the runway in order to prevent negative body imagery, and the first, and youngest female president of the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court was sworn in.
Each of these holds so much value and opportunity for improvement in society, which some seem to believe there is no use in improving because of it is so damaged already. Arguably, the focus of today’s modern news media is centred on negativity. Death and destruction is broadcasted worldwide, setting imagery for people to think more negatively on events that take place in society. This mentality can cause viewers to think less optimistically, which allows them to look back and question the events in 2017 and ask “What happened to the once-sane world we lived in?”
Questions arise, and though it is easy to portray society and the world in a negative light, viewers should keep in mind that so much improvement has caused different communities to band together and support each other through times of crisis. Nobody says it is easy to think with an optimistic attitude, however it is a way of looking forward.
Overall, the catastrophes and conflicts of 2017 show that society definitely has improvements it needs to make in different communities. However, positive change takes time and patience, and 2017 has also shown that we have moved forward as a global society, as small as those changes may seem.
