Graphic videos

In class this week, we discussed the use of graphic images in literature and the effects that it might have. But I realized one point that we didn’t talk about, the use of graphic videos. In a tragedy, videos can be seen as more powerful, you can hear the screams or cries of the people in this situation. I remember when the Parkland shooting happened in 2018, and a video that one student took of his classroom made me burst into tears. The video shows blood on the floor, screaming students hiding behind desks, and gunshots being shot through the classroom door window. This video shook me to my core. You always hear about the aftermath and the kids that died, and maybe some testimonies from kids who lived through it. But this video gave me a up-close and personal, front row seat view of what it was like to live through this devastating event. While a picture can give you a still life of something, with perceived and assumed emotions, a video gives you the real life raw experience. You can hear the panicked screams and quick breaths of the person filming, as well as all of the surrounding noises and reactions. Graphic videos are often overlooked, the public focusing more on powerful and violent images instead. We fail to recognize just how much impact and first-hand experience can give. While somewhat difficult to incorporate in essays and works of literature, given that you cannot simply print it out as a reference, maybe in the future they could be utilized as references and opportunities for greater depth and understanding on topics that are discussed within works of literature.