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[DMI] FOCUS Featured Discussion: Tragedy in a Digital World - The Virginia Tech Shootings

As part of work exploring the role that digital media plays in the lives of young people today, Global Kids has launched FOCUS: Teen Voices on Digital Media and Society, where teens from around the world are sounding off their perspectives on a range of issues related to digital media.

Below is a featured discussion from current dialogues happening on the site. Check it out!

This feature is taken from FOCUS: Teen Voices on Digital Media and Society:Tragedy in a Digital World - The Virginia Tech Shootings.


FaerieGirl 06:25pm Apr 17, 2007 EST
I think that this is one of the good things about digital media. Many of the ones in there were able to communicate with news agencies to spread the word about it and also to find out what was happening. Also, and most importantly, many of them had the opportunity to speak to their families -which is good for support, I guess- and tell them they were okay. I guess this will represent a risk when more things like this one happen for political reasons ('cause I assume that there will be more deaths out of the fear of the attackers, but I'm plain fatalistic here), but in this case I think it helped a lot.

About the authorities using only e-mail to tell people about the gunman... Well, that can be subject to debate, but yeah.

With or without digital media involved, I hope they all find the strength to overcome this happening =(

AZERT 09:41am Apr 19, 2007 EST
As if things could not get worse, the shooter has sent a video to NBC... Has anyone seen it?

AZERT

Nafiza 05:28pm Apr 19, 2007 EST
Well...I think that digital media was used for a good purpose in this case not only because it warned the rest of the world about what was going on within the building and alerting everyone of the gunman...but also because they were able to write down some eye-witness facts down. I know... if it was me in that situation...I would want people to find the truth, so that way, my death would not be in vain. It's never enough just to say, "So-and-so died on blah blah date"--that is a statistic...not a death. I would not want to be remembered like a casualty number....So I would want to leave everyone with something that was truth. And most of all...I would want the chance to say goodbye to whoever it is that I need to say goodbye to...because that's one thing a lot of people regret not being able to say.

I think blogging in general is a good way to remember all those people that died. Although we may not be directly showing our respects to them... we are at least showing that we are aware of the tragedy and that they did have an impact in the nation.

Nafiza 10:49pm Apr 19, 2007 EST
Oh yeah...the NBC thing.. too bad I did not see it yet...but I did hear it on the news...it upset a lot of people I guess. I don't know...I think the news has a right to put it up though, it is technically their first amendment right to freedom of press and speech >.>. If people don't want to see it, they can close their eyes...no one will ever force you to see that stuff anyway.

Cyric 05:40am Apr 20, 2007 EST
Meh this is reason people try and think up stuff or problems that really aren't problems.

One shooting, whole word knows instantlly. What happens, people over react...

Not to mention media seems to be glorifing the killer, his name is now known through out states, as the one who has killed more than anyone else in a shooting rampage.

dark me 07:20am Apr 20, 2007 EST
so what if people over-react? its better than them over-reacting on a news like 'anglina is thinking about adopting a new kid'... or those things but this thing rily matters.... people have to talk about it, have to be aware of it and so on.

this is a true problem....

FaerieGirl 07:13pm Apr 20, 2007 EST EST
I think that having his video on TV can be rather educational. I don't know how they are showing it (honestly, I am not really following the case on TV), but perhaps they should warn the audience before they broadcast it. Why educational? Well - I think that it's time we learn from our mistakes as society, and this video perhaps will make it a real life lesson. Of course it's doing what the guy wanted media to do, but I think it's fair. Who knows? This might prevent other people from falling into the same event.

Cyric - I think that people deserve information on the massacre as it was something big indeed, but definitely I am against the fact that a lot of equally relevant information is being forgot because of this, like the blast in Iraq where only(?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!) 190 people died.

Anu30March 08:00am Apr 25, 2007 EST
I feel it is good that through digital media like cell phones and internet, students could spread the news about this incident.That cell phone video which was being repeatedly telecast across all news channels, served as a first hand account of the ongoing of that horrific incident.

Digital media can play a vital role in informing and connecting people during times of distress and danger.

This was indeed a shocking incident and I feel really sorry for all the victims and their families.

I don't understand why no precaution measures were taken if there had already been two bomb threats on the campus that too, recently.If there were threats of any kind of possible dangers then the authorities should have taken full precautions in advance to combat any kind of dangers.

Comments

I think Anu, Noor (dark me) and I miss this forum a lot!

Yes you're right Mariel!I miss this a lot!It was great interacting with all you guys on this very interesting issue.I wish they organise more discussions like these in the future.

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