Tuesday, August 26, 2025
OpinionThe inhuman spectacle

The inhuman spectacle

(Filming tragedies & distress – A call for moral responsibility & legal measures)
In the digital age, where social media dominates our daily lives, a disturbing and inhumane trend has emerged—one that exposes a glaring lack of empathy in society. When tragedy strikes, whether it is a gruesome road accident, a raging fire, a devastating flood, or any other crisis, many bystanders no longer rush to help. Instead, they comfortably reach for their mobile phones, turning moments of human suffering into viral content.
This act, often carried out with little thought or remorse, is not just insensitive—it is morally reprehensible. Rather than calling for help or providing immediate aid, people choose to record, seeking the so-called “exclusive” footage that will make them momentary social media sensations. In many cases, this delay in seeking emergency assistance proves fatal, robbing victims of precious seconds that could have saved their lives.
Turning tragedy into content: The phenomenon of recording accidents and sharing distressing moments on social media has transformed human suffering into a public spectacle. Videos of dying victims, grieving families, and helpless individuals in distress are circulated as if they are entertainment, with little regard for the dignity and privacy of those involved. The desperate cries of an accident victim or the helplessness of a drowning person are reduced to mere pixels on a screen, consumed, liked, and shared by an audience desensitized to real-life suffering.
Have we lost our basic humanity? Compassion should be instinctive. A person in distress does not need a camera recording their worst moments—they need immediate assistance, a helping hand, and a responsible human being who prioritizes life over likes. Unfortunately, the rise of digital platforms and the race for engagement have blurred the lines between responsible behavior and sheer exploitation.
It is time for individuals and society as a whole to embrace a greater sense of responsibility and compassion. Educating people about the importance of helping victims rather than filming them should be a priority. Schools, communities, and organizations must actively spread awareness that human life is more valuable than viral content.
Bystanders must be encouraged to act with empathy—calling for medical aid, offering first aid, or simply standing by the victim with reassurance rather than capturing their agony on camera. The next time we witness an accident, we must make a choice: to be humane or to be mere spectators.
Beyond moral responsibility, a stronger legal measure against recording and sharing distressing footage of victims without consent needs to be enforced strictly to deter this behavior and ensure that those who exploit tragedies for digital engagement face consequences like, implementing fines or penalties for individuals who record and share distressing footage without permission from authorities, making it legally mandatory for bystanders to assist victims instead of using their phones for non-emergency purposes, banning the circulation of sensitive content, and enforcing strict laws that prohibit the unauthorized recording and dissemination of tragic incidents, ensuring dignity for victims and their families. A call to action with moral responsibility: Human life is not a spectacle. The next time we witness a tragedy, let us put down our phones and step forward as responsible and compassionate individuals. A single moment of action can save a life, while a moment wasted on recording can cost one. It is time for individual, society, and lawmakers to take a stand—to uphold dignity over digital engagement, to choose humanity over likes, and to ensure that tragedy is met with compassion, not exploitation. The question remains: Will we continue to be passive spectators, or will we act as responsible human beings? The choice is ours.
Manlang Phom,
Dimapur.

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