Put the Camera Away

It Is Entirely Unethical To Film and Post the FSU Shooting Victims on Social Media

Photo by Jae Park on Unsplash

A tragedy struck the Florida State University (FSU) on April 7, when a 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner attacked the Tallahassee campus with a gun, leaving two dead and six injured. During and after the shooting, videos of the incident spread on social media, showing students running away from the shooter or escaping the campus with their hands up. One of the videos that sparked outrage among netizens depicted a person passing a woman bleeding on the grass while sipping their Starbucks drink. Social media users not only condemned this indifferent behavior but also questioned whether it is ethical to film and publicize the victims’ worst moments of their lives.

One of the main issues of filming victims is that it promotes the bystander effect. Unless the person filming is also in danger, they are responsible for helping the victim by calling 911, keeping the victim calm or controlling bleeding. Collecting social media users’ attention doesn’t provide anything to the victim who needs immediate help in a life-or-death situation. Additionally, the viewers, instead of learning how to respond to the emergency, only watch the event happen and express sympathy at most. In other words, videos of victims in pain raise awareness but no action, which is exactly what the bystander effect represents.

Another danger associated with filming victims is that the videos can be exploited to create a shock as a source of virality. This phenomenon is even worse than the bystander effect as content creators or journalists take advantage of the victims’ trauma to make a profit. As internet users abuse sensitive films, they also belittle the severity of the incident. This amplifies the mental toll on the victims knowing that millions of people can casually watch something they never want to recall again.

Finally, it is unethical to film or post anyone on social media without their consent, and the victims cannot provide consent in a life-threatening situation. Although people commonly film public spaces without the permission of others, they need to be more considerate in sensitive circumstances like shooting. Even in public, the victims fully deserve their rights to privacy and dignity, and they may not want to share themselves in pain with others.

Some may argue that filming is important to communicate safety to officials and present accurate information to the media. While filming itself may not be a problem, the videos can quickly spread all over social media. Additionally, in the moment of active shooting, filming only delays help; calling 911 and describing the scene in detail offer much faster assistance and avoid unnecessary invasion of the victims’ privacy. There are many effective ways to report the incident, but filming is not one of them. In critical situations like active shooting, people should always prioritize the affected individuals’ physical and mental safety, most quickly and respectfully.