The Olympics have been surrounded by scandals and controversies throughout the history of the modern games. But people still tuned in to watch the events. But this year, the winter games have had significantly fewer viewers when compared to previous games. The 2022 Winter Olympics are certainly not lacking in controversial issues. But is that the only reason that the ratings are so low? I think there are several other reasons why people just don’t care.
Social issues
According to this article, the ratings for the 2022 Winter Olympics are likely to have the lowest views in Olympic history. The article explains a little about the horrors that are happening to the Uyghur people living in China. Some people have boycotted the games due to the Chinese government’s horrific treatment of this ethnic group. Plus, America’s relationship with China is not always friendly. That’s understandable of course. But as Americans and even citizens of other free nations, it’s hard to support a country like China. We largely disagree with them on many issues.
Other concerns
The world has just lived through two years of government control that most Americans wouldn’t have thought possible. The slow process of restricting freedoms and fear-mongering has caused many people to feel depressed. Americans are just uninterested in things that they would usually enjoy. The Olympics, an event that allows you to be proud of your country’s successes, has turned into a political statement. People don’t want to tune into a sporting event to hear only of COVID protocols. We’ve heard enough about masks, testing, and vaccine requirements. While it’s no fault of the athletes, many Americans simply don’t feel the pride in our country that we used to. It’s hard to be proud of a nation that’s quickly failing at pretty much everything. The few minutes of the Olympics that I actually watched didn’t seem like much to celebrate.
I fondly remember watching the Olympics as a child. The games were fun to watch. It was something you could share with your fellow Americans. To be able to celebrate the wins and mourn the major losses was a way to bring people together. Now, our country is so divided, and people are so fearful and angry at the general state of the world, that it can be hard to just enjoy normal things. The Olympic games have become too political. It’s frustrating to hear about COVID constantly when you just want to watch some skiing. I think the lack of interest in the 2022 Winter Olympics says a lot about the state of mind of the average person. People are ready to return to normal and to just live as they see fit.