The media is a great tool to check on what you should not be afraid of.
Most bad things that appear in the news are things that are remarkable and rare. The media reports on them just because they are uncommon or special. This is the core of the news.
Hence, being afraid of things you see in the media is highly irrational. You can use it as your ‘what I shouldn’t be afraid of’ filter instead.
The real dangers lie in the things we do daily: being at home, taking the stairs, cooking with appliances, driving a car.
For some perspective:
Annual deaths in US (10y average):
- Terrorists: 16
- Armed Toddlers: 21
- Extreme rock climbing: 21
- Lightning: 31
- Lawnmowers: 69
- Being hit by a bus: 264
- Falling out of bed: 737 (2 people a day…)
More data on what is really dangerous you can find here.