Adam Lanza Fan Art

[matsushima]

Mass casualty events speak to the emotional reality of being a teenager. When we’re teenagers, our feelings are so big and the reality of our lives are often so small in comparison. The violence of a school shooting gives teen angst the gravitas it feels like it deserves: It offers catharsis. And when a school shooting is “just” a story, a piece of modern folklore, why not use it?

In other words, the extreme nature of these events mirrors the intensity of adolescent emotions, providing a framework for understanding and expressing overwhelming feelings that may seem disproportionate to everyday experiences.

-Katherine Dee, Adam Lanza Fan Art

Content notes: gun violence (school shootings), transphobia (t-slur), bully apologia