[archipelago]

It's perhaps very triggering for many so I'll try to keep the details out. The use of digital and social media during this event shows a side of American culture that really needs to be discussed. It shows a complete lack of awareness of ethical principles and a lack of empathy so profound that it has been called treating people like objects. What I wonder is the role of digital media in all of this? Does digital media distance people so they feel that what they are doing isn't real? Why do people feel that they can witness such horrific events and just record them as if they have no role? I'm stunned and perplexed.

[Hatter08]

Desensitization. I always felt like that was the purpose of the media. What it does is takes something horribly tragic and force feeds it to you nonstop for weeks until you're forced to just stop caring or go spiraling into depression over the matter. I honestly don't know why people are so capable of just letting these events slide and not caring at this point but speaking as a person with basically zero ability for empathy, I just don't get why I should be sad. I understand what right and wrong is, but I think its a coping mechanism. The media airs nonstop bad news for Americans, so rather than collapse into complete depression, we just stop caring, because its too much to take. I feel like I can understand the distanced mindset but I'm not saying its right.

[archipelago]

But maybe the non-stop use of social media by the generations that grew up with it is different from being exposed to media in general?

Just wondering if there is a generational change happening, not in the event itself, but in the way that people reacted.

[Hatter08]

I just read up on the situation I believe you were talking about and, my sister having been through the same thing, it does tick me off a lot. Now I understand exactly what you were talking about. I was thinking news media not social media (I should have payed more attention to what you typed.) It does appear to be a dramatic generational shift as it seems to be happening more and more but it doesn't mean that its strictly downhill. I believe society as a whole will get worse, then when that becomes a serious enough threat to human survival, it'll get better just to get worse again.

Social media seems to be broadcasting the state of mind that it's cool to be a bad person. Social Media has spread this idea that "I can say and do whatever I want and no one can do anything about it." It's just taking expressing oneself to the farthest level possible. I actually know people who justify their bad actions by saying things like "I'm gonna be me and I'm not gonna let even the government tell me who to be." It just seems to me that human beings were not even meant to be given free will since you give them even the smallest bit of freedom and they tend to blow it out of proportion. People need rules and in the world we live in, enforcing those rules is being met with severe resistance by the civilian population. I'm sorry if I'm getting off track here, I'm trying to explain it as well as I can but the topic of morality and justifying one's actions is a pretty big deal to me.

[costello]

I read about this incident too - and the apparent attempts to minimize/cover up afterward. It was probably as sickening and disgusting a story as I've seen for a long time. Just focusing on the social media aspects of the story, though... it always astonishes me that people would film themselves in the act of doing something which is illegal, immoral, and so repugnate that most people would be nauseated by the behavior. Then to tweet it or post it on social media? It leaves me scratching my head. But if your moral code is so twisted, and your ability to feel empathy is so low, it could be that it wouldn't occur to you that other people might be horrified rather than amused or impressed? I don't know.

[costello]

Originally Posted by iota

Just wondering if there is a generational change happening, not in the event itself, but in the way that people reacted.

That was my first thought too. "What is wrong with our kids today?" I had to actively calm myself down and remind myself that I've been hearing about incidents like this since I was a teen (I'm 51 now). The social media aspect is new, yes. But the behavior, no. Even the people who jump in and defend indefensible behavior and the people who blame the victim have been around for as long as I can remember. It's puzzling but not new.

[costello]

Originally Posted by Hatter08

Social Media has spread this idea that "I can say and do whatever I want and no one can do anything about it." It's just taking expressing oneself to the farthest level possible. I actually know people who justify their bad actions by saying things like "I'm gonna be me and I'm not gonna let even the government tell me who to be." It just seems to me that human beings were not even meant to be given free will since you give them even the smallest bit of freedom and they tend to blow it out of proportion. People need rules and in the world we live in, enforcing those rules is being met with severe resistance by the civilian population. I'm sorry if I'm getting off track here, I'm trying to explain it as well as I can but the topic of morality and justifying one's actions is a pretty big deal to me.

I agree with you on the whole "rules optional" attitude we seem to have anymore. Honestly don't get me started. It's one of my pet peeves. I'm not sure it started with social media, though. I don't know where it comes from.

I think this has less to do with rules than it has to do with basic humanity. You just don't do stuff like that to people. Not if you have any sense of empathy. My guess is there were a handful of sociopaths directly involved - and a bunch of other people who didn't like what was happening but for one reason or another didn't intervene. I hope witnesses come forward to say what they saw.

[archipelago]

Unfortunately, I agree that what happened to the girl is not new, but what appears to be new is the way those who were there reacted, as captured on digital media. They knew it was wrong because they called it by a criminal name, but some joked and laughed and that's just hard to understand. I doubt anyone will come forward. The police asked for witnesses and I believe they got 3. The events of the night were pieced together through the digital media trail left behind though parts of it were deleted. I do think this is different and related to the role that digital media plays in people's lives.

[costello]

Originally Posted by iota

They knew it was wrong because they called it by a criminal name, ...

I guess I would distinguish 'wrong' from 'illegal.' Morally wrong. As Hatter pointed out, we seem to be an increasingly 'rules optional' society. Lots of people break laws and rules all the time. Most people, however, would not do what these kids did, because it's repugnant.

but some joked and laughed and that's just hard to understand.

I think you'd have to be a sociopath or a sadist to see it as funny. I personally found the story shocking and distressing. I was pretty angry in fact. I think most people would see nothing amusing about it. I'd like to think most young people would agree with me. Hopefully we're not raising an entire generation who sees other people as objects to hurt and manipulate.

I doubt anyone will come forward. The police asked for witnesses and I believe they got 3.

That's troubling.

The events of the night were pieced together through the digital media trail left behind though parts of it were deleted. I do think this is different and related to the role that digital media plays in people's lives.

Yeah, I read that. And it sounds like there was enough to let you know what was happening, but maybe not enough to prove it in court.

[archipelago]

To be fair, in the long video you can hear some of the kids in the background sounding more concerned about what to do and also some critical of the boy who is laughing and joking. So it's not all the kids, but too many of them to ignore.

I'm just wondering if this kind of indifference and blatant disregard is fostered by feelings of distance from what you are in fact participating in. I heard one commentary that made the claim that there's a kind of disconnect, an unreality, when people are used to posting or recording anything and everything. I don't want to blame social media, but I'm trying to see what the role is.

[costello]

Originally Posted by iota

To be fair, in the long video you can hear some of the kids in the background sounding more concerned about what to do and also some critical of the boy who is laughing and joking. So it's not all the kids, but too many of them to ignore.

I actually couldn't bring myself to listen to the video. I'm glad some were critical, but I wish someone had intervened. I guess the girl was clueless until friends of the family started finding her photo online.

I'm just wondering if this kind of indifference and blatant disregard is fostered by feelings of distance from what you are in fact participating in. I heard one commentary that made the claim that there's a kind of disconnect, an unreality, when people are used to posting or recording anything and everything. I don't want to blame social media, but I'm trying to see what the role is.

I don't know. I just remind myself that people have been brutalizing other people since the beginning of time. That's not new.

The mindset that says it's okay to post it online? You'd think that just self-preservation would prevent you from doing that.

Unbelievable. See who walks from this. The #$@@!! untouchables...the 'leaders of tomorrow' are sacrosanct. We've seen courtroom acrobatics before in cases similar. The budding futures of these walking wads may well go unimpeded.

I can't think about the Dehli atrocity...suffice to say that in a country of usually harsh justice these nooses need owners. Even the youth. Men are 'men' a lot earlier in that culture. Square away the details and do it right. For the grace of this girl and others who'll find themselves at the hands of walking shite. Nothing rascist here so read nothing else into this but support for that countries harshest penalties.

People...man, the arsehole ratio just seems to grow.