When daunting headlines make the world seem just a little smaller and more dangerous, it can be easy to start stressing and harder to tune out the influx of news. You may start asking big questions like: “When will World War III start?” or “Is North Korea going to bomb us today?”

It can be hard to focus on the good in the world. Over the past few weeks, there have been rising developments with the crisis in Gaza, Russian drone incursions into Polish airspaces and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, among other events.

Times like these remind us that politics can surround us like a thick veil we just can’t seem to take off. It can feel like the world is getting darker and there’s more violence in the world than ever. This mindset and media overload can lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression and sparks fear among communities like our campus.

Tip: That’s exactly what the news is trying to do. By creating a herd mentality of panic, news organizations are tricking you exactly into thinking the world is ending or today’s the day World War III will start. If this is you — you are not the only one.

The seemingly never-ending news headlines about political violence, rising conflicts in different areas of the world and the darkness these events surround you with makes it easy to feel alone, isolated and afraid to ask your friends about their own political views.

Times like these should be a reminder that you are not alone, and that the friends you have are the friends that have chosen to be there with you when circumstances become extreme. Reaching out to friends and asking their own perspectives, or even just asking to hang out, can make these “dark times” seem a little less dark, and we can begin to see the good in our world once more.

Reach out to your friends. Hang out. Go grocery shopping. Get dinner at Campion. The world may seem dark, but we will persevere until tomorrow.