unwilling to recognize or acknowledge a problem or situation

I’m not saying that we are unwilling to recognize a problem, the problem itself is greatly exaggerated, or even non-existent.

I’m almost the same as OP, but I wouldn’t call it “head in the sand”. For the past few years, the media has been exaggerating everything and creating mass hysteria. If you follow the news closely, you’ll think the world is about to end: Wars, economical depressions, climate changes, new pandemics, etc…

Stop following the news, and you won’t notice a thing. Probably the price increases, but other than that, your life is the same.

When you reach the point of dehumanizing an entire population, you should stop and think about the amount of shit the media has filled your head with.