Actually, when it comes to shocking and horrific news, mass shootings get the biggest reactions.

Because our brains are evolved to live in tribes of around 150 people, the death toll of a mass shooting (Usually 3–50 people) really resonates with us.

We can imagine 50 people, but we can’t possibly imagine the hundreds of thousands who have died so far in Syria.

And because the mass shootings are often held in places we ourselves often go (Schools, shopping malls, churches) we can viscerally imagine ourselves being caught up in the shooting.

The simple fact is you cannot truly feel the extent of the tragedy through the screen of your smartphone. You are detached from the incident. It didn’t effect you and it didn’t effect anyone you know. It’s a natural human reaction to not feel particularly compelled to do anything about something that is so detached from ourselves.

Take any human being in the world and place them in the midst of a mass shooting. Let them feel the true horror of the event and then see whether they still feel this apathy about doing something about it.