I also thought widespread vaccination would end the pandemic in the US by mid-2021. I guess vaccination rates have to be very high, maybe > 90%, for that to work? Personally I've redefined my goal for dealing with the pandemic as merely, "I will not give Covid to anyone else," which still seems doable by spacing out social events and testing in between.

Although I also find the media's tendency towards sensationalism to be annoying, the media industry and its audience are so fractured now I'm not sure they're the cause of anything. It feels like no one is in control and they (and us) are merely along for the ride. That is, I feel that, due to decentralized mass communication and targeted media delivery, social phenomena is tending towards emergent rather than directed behavior.