Media plays an unforgivable role in convincing people that the world is becoming more unsafe. In fact, cars, equipment and most public places are safer than ever, but the media is able to reach an ever bigger audience with every sensationalist title about an exceptional event.

I come from a formerly communist eastern European country where, before the fall of communism, media was tightly controlled and censored. We had more road fatalities than now with only 1/10 the amount of cars, much more work-related injuries, a significantly worse and lower-tech medical care, political prisoners tortured in God knows what ways. Yet, most people who are old enough to remember it feel nostalgic about that period and constantly say "look at the news nowadays".