Check Your Privilege. Check The Headlines, Too. 

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Northeastern chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

“With tariffs and threats, Trump turns on America’s closest allies” – The Washington Post

“In Trump’s policies, a denial of trans existence.” – The Boston Globe

“Trump’s immigration crackdown ripples across the US” – ABC News

“Trump expects to end birthright citizenship” – USA Today

“Can He Do That?” – The New York Times

Since his inauguration on Jan. 20, President Trump has signed 124 executive orders. In response, major news outlets across the country have raced to cover the sweeping implications of these directives and policies. 

Americans like you and me are left inundated by the sheer magnitude of breaking news. Each headline feels more distressing than the last, compounding the weight of political fatigue involved in the once-simple act of getting the day’s news. As a result, many Americans have chosen to tune out the overwhelming political discourse entirely. In fact, since 2023, the portion of U.S. adults who actively seek out news content has dropped from 53% to 44%, according to a survey conducted by Morning Consult. 

We can simply turn off the TV, close a website or ignore the Trump-centric news altogether. We can relax. We can take a Pilates class, meet friends for coffee, try that new wine bar or finally plan the vacation we’ve been dreaming of. We can, in other words, forget.  

And what a privilege that is. 

One truth we are desperate to escape is that millions of Americans don’t share the luxury of ignoring the headlines the way we do; the next one might determine whether their families or livelihoods are targeted by another executive order. For communities across the nation — from immigrants to low-income families to those reliant on Medicaid — decisions made in the capital, often with little disclosure or transparency, dictate the state of their well-being and security. They cannot afford fatigue, for the politics that may never impact many of our lives threaten the very existence of theirs. 

Ignorance is bliss…if you can afford it

For Americans with financial stability, secure jobs and access to healthcare, the stakes of political shifts may feel abstract or distant. Such stability affords one a life largely independent of federal programs and government assistance, the very issues dominating today’s news cycle. A Pew Research Center study found that Americans who face the greatest financial insecurity are those most reliant on government benefits, making it imperative to stay aware of recent political discourse. 

Consider the livelihoods behind each of these newsworthy moments.

Trump’s freeze of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) programs, which had allocated $19.5 billion to support USDA conservation initiatives, has cut off funding to over 30,000 farmers on signed contracts for voluntary conservation. A congressional proposal to cut $880 billion from Medicaid threatens the ability of 80 million Americans to see a doctor when sick, access indispensable medication or afford care near the end of their lives. The dismantling of DEI programs affects the current and future employment of nearly 43,000 professionals in charge of diversification efforts at various companies and institutions.

These are not just executive orders or statistics. These are livelihoods. These are people. These are the fates of your neighbors, your friends and their families. These are their lived realities, where the next headline could determine whether they have access to healthcare, can send their children to school or must continue living in fear of visa revocations and xenophobic migration policies. 

The human cost of political fatigue 

Since Jan. 20, the TikTok For You Page has shifted from a diverse source of entertainment, creativity, discourse, human connection and more for myself and millions of Americans to a real-time monitor of how presidential policies are impacting the people of our country. Here, you’ll find videos of a user’s reaction to his mother’s deportation at the hands of ICE, clips of Elon Musk making a hand gesture we can only hope was misinterpreted as a fascist salute or videos of LGBTQ+ and feminist protesters straining their voices to plead for the reinstatement of their rights. 

It can all become too much. We’re tempted to click away. But for those people you see on TikTok, their lives extend far beyond the For You Page videos you scroll past. In the 15-second clip that you may grant a like or comment, the subjects of the video themselves are not granted the most basic principles of humanity. Real testimonies sent to the office of Nevada’s 3rd District tell these stories: 

Teachers shield their students from ICE raids in classrooms meant for learning following Trump’s deportation policies. Scientists watch critical, life-saving medical research grind to a halt following the federal funding freeze. Disabled veterans prepare for homelessness following pauses to their HUD-VASH assistance. Parents consider the fates of their children following attacks on the Department of Education. Transgender athletes grapple with a new reality following the ban on trans women in women’s sports. 

We turn away from these truths because we feel there’s nothing we can do to change them.

But change isn’t the goal — at least, not yet. It’s awareness; it’s the responsibility of every American to bear witness to the lived realities of our fellow citizens, especially as the policies that threaten them are now executed using the funds we provide through taxes.

Every executive order and every policy shift shapes the futures of hundreds of citizens. Their lives rest in the hands of a system whose upheaval depends on our refusal to look away.

The least you can do? Consider the question The New York Times posed so eloquently: “Can he do that?” When we challenge the limits of power, hold leaders accountable and ensure that the policies impacting millions are met with scrutiny rather than complacency, we acknowledge our privilege and inherently consider the livelihoods of our neighbors. 

The ultimate danger comes when our fatigue with these political headlines devolves into oblivion. When we tune out, we abandon the real American lives hanging in the balance. Privilege allows us to look away, but for many, survival depends on our attention.

When you tune out, take the time to tune back in. Someone, somewhere, is praying that you do.