Comment by ricardobayes

7 hours ago

I wouldn't even call it a communication problem - I believe it's more a media problem, than anything. Good news are minimized and bad news are amplified to the maximum - nowadays even broadsheet newspapers operate with tabloid headlines, and that is really bad.

We somehow need to "want" a slower news cycle and simultaneously push back against the algorithmic outrage. The world is more predictable and safer than ever but the perception of the average person is not this, it's manufactured outrage at every possible opportunity and topic.

Despite the average european objectively being better off and safer than a decade ago, almost none feel that way and that is almost 100% due to the news algorithms being tuned to keep you in a constant dread cycle.

>Despite the average european objectively being better off and safer than a decade ago

I'm sure it's true, but do we have some statistics on that, and a comparison to places that doesn't have the same regulatory burden?

  • I can quote the German BKA:

    number of crimes in 2016: 6,372,526

    number of crimes in 2025 (last data): 5,508,559

    https://www.bka.de/EN/CurrentInformation/Statistics/PoliceCr...

    https://www.bka.de/EN/CurrentInformation/Statistics/PoliceCr...

    • Awesome! But, looking at the numbers the decrease in totals are due to fewer registered "street crimes", less fraud and legalization of cannabis (removing a 183k comparable from 2016). Violent crimes however went from 193,542 to 212,335. With rapes almost doubling, going from 7,919 to 14,454 (82%). Murders remained stable though.

      We can debate which of these crimes have a greater impact on the feeling of safety. Personally I don't really feel unsafe due to people being caught stealing a sweater or smoking weed (when that was illegal).

      So I don't think this is as clear cut as the headline number makes it seem. I feel like it's valid if people want to put more weight on the violent crimes.

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