Part 3/8:
However, after 2014, a noticeable decline in race relations paralleled a downturn in comedy’s ability to tackle racial themes with levity. Several tragic incidents, such as the unjust killing of Eric Garner and the subsequent rise of public awareness around police brutality, marked this shifting landscape. It’s important to note that police killings did not necessarily increase during this period; rather, social media platforms began amplifying these stories dramatically. The proliferation of social media ignited a new era where negativity bias—our tendency to focus on worst-case scenarios—and availability bias—overestimating the likelihood of rare events—created a skewed perception of racial issues.