Are you the type who uses a small very cheap cellphone that only plays games, sends messages and, most importantly, receives calls?
Are you the user who has a smart phone but barely ever pull it out at public events to record the videos?
Or are you the third user who can never wait to whip out their cellphone to capture pictures and videos of events, even those that have nothing to do with you, especially gruesome ones so you can be the first one to share with the world through social media platforms?
Last week Sunday, on social media platforms we were exposed to the pictures and videos of bodies scattered on the N1 North’s Maxwell Drive bridge between Allandale and Buccleauh drives after a horrific fatal accident that saw nine people die.
From the images and video, it seems the accident had just happened because the person behind the camera is very close to the scene.
Bodies could actually be seen and identified and there were no police officials or emergency personnel on scene.
This got me thinking very hard because for one, I really don’t understand why anyone would want to tamper with an accident scene before the police or emergency personnel arrives; this is a criminal offence.
Two, are we now an uncultured society that we don’t respect the dead?
We would rather hide behind the camera while we strip the deceased of the dignity they have left?
Also, when did we start prioritising taking videos before calling for help and helping those in danger?
Believe me when I say, the people at that scene were taking videos rather than helping those who survived and trying to remove themselves from the wreckages.
What bothered me more than anything about this incident in particular is the fact that the accident had just happened and the family members of the deceased were not yet notified.
They had to learn about their death through social media?
Can you imagine one of the deceased’s children going through social media and seeing their parents lying dead?
I really don’t know how I feel about this, but it seems each and every day we are turning into a society that doesn’t care about the dignity of others.
We rather care about the few minutes of fame on social media for sharing breaking news.
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