- Social Media For Safety… In 2001, Facebook was a mere fetus compared to what it is now. Here in 2015, safety check-ins have taken social media to a new level. Parisians, as well as travelling foreigners, can utilize the widely known social media site to let loved ones know their safety status without having to call literally everyone you know.
- Social media for evil… I do not recall such widespan criticism of the American people banding together after 9-11-01 (again, I was young) but the level at which people can critique on such a worldwide platform is astounding. When the world was showing its support for France, many bloggers and angry commenters were wondering, “Why France? What about Iran? What about Syria?” comparing death tolls (how does someone DO that?) and criticizing the way the French people have dealt with it has made me sick. There is no tragedy that is greater than another, no country greater than another, and no life that costs more than another.
- Fraud. The “lights of the Eiffel Tower went out for the first time since 1889” thing is a lie. They go off around 1:00 AM every night. (When you’re using that as a landmark to tell where you are in a foreign city and it goes away, you tend to notice these things.) “Paris now has armored soldiers swarming its national landmarks,” is also a lie. Every person I asked directions from in my 2014 visit to France was an armed soldier. They are posted at the Louvre, at the Eiffel Tower, at the Arc du Triomphe… they are everywhere. Paris is the number one tourist city in the world and holds the second largest collection of art in the world. OF COURSE THEY HAVE SOLDIERS PROTECTING IT! Again, it was 14 years ago, but I don’t remember this many social media lies coming out with 9-11-01. I remember MANY conspiracy theories (ie. The Aliens tried to warn us of these attacks… etc.) but never as many blatant lies so quickly spread like wildfire and created simply for the entertainment of the lie’s creator.
- Criticism. As an American, I remember being in awe of the sheer patriotism that was shown immediately after the 9-11 attacks. American flags were everywhere. Prayers were said as communities came together. With the convenience of social media, it is easier than ever to show support and donate to causes. With the attacks on Paris, it is simple for anyone in any country to change their profile picture to the French flag or to donate to the victims of the attacks. But with that, comes anger and retaliation from those unaffected and unsympathetic. “Do you really think you are battling terrorism with a blue, white, and red profile picture?” No. We don’t. But we DO think we are standing with the people just like us in Paris, France and are showing our support in a simple way. After the 9-11-01 attacks on the United States, French soldiers flew an American flag in front of the Eiffel Tower. They stood with and for the United States, so I choose to stand with them as best I can.
The attacks on Paris, France have been a sobering reality check for everyone worldwide. It is tough to believe that it has been 24 years since the terrorist attacks on US soil, and the world still has to deal with senseless acts of terrorism, but this is our reality. Terrorism is our everyday life. Terrorism is a vocabulary word our children will always know. As an adult in 2015, watching these events unfold is a completely different experience than it was in 2001. The world has changed. But is it for the better?
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AuthorBrittney Little author of "What Doesn't Kill You Makes A Good Story: A How NOT To Gude to College" writes about life, love, and living out your dreams. Archives
December 2016
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