MURFREESBORO, TN - Is today’s world more angry than it used to be, or are we simply hearing each other more loudly than ever before? It’s a question that pops up everywhere—from kitchen table conversations to the comment sections of local news on WGNS. In the political realm, the middle ground feels like an endangered species. Everything seems to be all right or all left, with very little room for the folks who prefer to stand somewhere in between. And if you’ve dared to scroll through the “remarks” under any internet post lately, you’ve probably seen the anger bubbling over. It’s sharp, it’s fast, and it’s often aimed at strangers.

You don’t have to go online to feel it. Just take a drive down Memorial, Old Fort, or I‑24 during rush hour. Bumper‑to‑bumper traffic has become a daily reality, and with it comes a rise in road rage incidents. People honk more. They gesture more. They mutter things in their cars they’d never say out loud in the grocery store line. It’s as if the pressure of modern life has found its release valve behind the steering wheel.

And here in Rutherford County, we know a thing or two about pressure. Growth isn’t just something we talk about—it’s something we live in real time. Murfreesboro continues to rank among the nation’s fastest‑growing cities, landing 16th among cities over 100,000 in a 2023 SmartAsset study that looked at data from 2017 to 2022. That same analysis even labeled Murfreesboro the #3 “Boomtown” in America, thanks to a nearly 19.1 percent population jump, strong job creation, and a surge in new housing and rising incomes.

Those numbers aren’t abstract. They show up in the new subdivisions that seem to appear overnight, the steady stream of moving trucks on our streets, and the long lines at schools, restaurants, and doctor’s offices. Housing development alone has grown by more than 30 percent. Families and professionals from across the country are choosing Murfreesboro for its affordability, opportunity, and quality of life. And they’re coming fast.

Of course, growth brings growing pains. Traffic is the one everyone talks about first, and for good reason. More people means more cars, more congestion, and more chances for tempers to flare. But the emotional temperature of a community isn’t just about traffic. It’s about how quickly life is changing, how crowded things feel, and how hard it can be to keep up.

Middle Tennessee as a whole is experiencing this boom. The region is thriving, but it’s also transforming. And whenever a place changes this quickly, people feel it—sometimes as excitement, sometimes as frustration, and sometimes as a mix of both.

So is the world angrier than it used to be? Maybe. Or maybe we’re just living in a moment where everything is louder—our politics, our traffic, our online conversations, and even our expectations. What’s certain is that Rutherford County is growing, changing, and adjusting in real time. And as we navigate this boomtown era together, the challenge will be finding ways to stay connected, stay patient, and stay grounded in the community spirit that brought so many people here in the first place.  

That's what WGNS is all about. We'll be celebrating our 79th anniversary in about a week. Murfreesboro has certainly changed since 1947, but the Good Neighbor Station's philosophy has not. In fact, with the New Year, WGNS will be adding local talk shows that specifically address ways to maintain a neighborly feeling, even with population booms. And if there are topics that you wish the radio station/social media sites could target, let us know. CLICK HERE and share your questions or comments.