Scott Peek Photography
William Kozoman
It’s no surprise that the news of Charlie Kirk’s shooting spread like wildfire once it broke the news. But what isn’t normal is just how it was being told – often, hand in hand with describing the events, people would turn over their phones and show one of the numerous gruesome videos depicting the event – many of which went extremely viral in just hours.
These kinds of videos, without filters and accessible to a wide variety of ages, reached everyone. For a few hours, it consumed students here until, by the end of the day, almost everyone who was mildly curious or informed probably had seen it. The same can be said for schools around the country, schools full of kids that aren’t fully ready to see that kind of content or accept what it means.
Even though nearly-universally regarded as a tragedy and a stain on this country and its political system, the sheer irreverence with which people seemed to be willing to share videos of his death was bone-chilling. There seemed not just to be a sense of somber recognition, but also of dazed awe that something like this could happen and for all to see. Kids who technically aren’t even allowed to watch graphic movies watched a person be shot and killed in front of their eyes, maybe even replaying it multiple times.
It would maybe be a little comforting to think that this kind of event is rare, that something like this was a fluke that won’t happen again. But that would be a lie. Even on the specific topic of political violence, numerous other horrific incidents have happened leading up to this one, like the attempt on then-presidential candidate Trump last July. A mere inch or two is what delayed something like this until now.
But it isn’t even just about poltiics or major figures. Social media has started to run rampant with videos of violence, car crashes, fights and more. Some people are now consuming hours of content a day where they watch other human beings lose their life or be brutally injured. Maybe the first few videos were a shock, but after watching dozens, maybe hundreds of them… are they really anymore? In just the last few years, it seems people have developed a remarkable and terrifying stomach for seeing a life vanish in seconds, and then move on with their day like there was nothing to it.
All this is made worse by the fact that the people who are going down this path are becoming younger and younger. Though social media platforms may try to restrict or age-control videos, any young person knows that they make seeing these videos more of a when, not an if. As future generations grow up to accept everyday violence, and see it as normal, the impacts will be nothing short of devastating. The widespread distribution of graphic or violent imagery already poses a threat to those who are sensitive to them, but for others, they might just become the norm and not the exception. Who cares if I see violence – I’m used to it now.
Some people have already developed this apparent numbness to violence – a situation that will only deteriorate more with time and more events like this. We’ve already seen horrific examples of how there can be an emerging, tepid response to violence in the real world, at best.
And the cycle will only get more vicious. As more and more people grow to accept violence as a normal occurrence, more bad actors will feel enabled to take out their violence on others without the same responses or repercussions that they might have once gotten. As this cycle continues, it’s not hard to see how society itself could be at risk.
It seems like all these last few years, things have gotten worse and worse. But there is room for people to prevent this situation from getting out of control.
This can start with just changing habits, like refusing to watch or interact with violent content and encouraging those around you to do the same. But it’s clear that individuals alone aren’t the only ones who have a role to play. Social media platforms have already begun to crack down on this content, but it’s clear more now than ever that there needs to be a step up. By pushing efforts to improve their moderation and content control, you could have a very real impact on slowing down the violent tide. And on a political level, lawmakers are already looking to work on these problems.Encouraging your relevant politicians to act in an informed and decisive manner on this issue could go a long way.
Either way, it’s clear that this trend needs to break out of its current state — the risks to everyone are clear. From simply maintaning the innocence of the youth to preventing maybe hundreds or thousands of further deaths, violence and its newfound home on social media need to be not only shunned, but have real action taken against them. And the solution starts with you.