Student Spectrums

Dareen Elsaghir is a Palestinian teenager who strives to address the endlessly rising issues in the 21st century. She is passionate about reflecting on the urgency of fostering an improved society. She aims to leave readers with a powerful message that can help them understand the importance of creating a world free of propaganda, inhumanity, or injustice.

In a vast world of social media full of trends and rumors, I cannot help but think of how disappointing and atrocious society is becoming. As a Palestinian teenager witnessing such drastic changes, it is extremely heartbreaking and agonizing to see a viral meme or joke and then immediately witness a video of a suffering Palestinian – both being in the same video. Whenever I stumble upon their videos, I witness them continuously asking the audience to donate money or to amplify their voices. Whether the viewers donate money or interact with the video isn’t the only center of confusion, rather it is the fact that the audience must be entertained to watch the remainder of the video. Not only does this make the genocide seem unserious, but it also raises a powerful reminder that global issues should be highlighted more often.

Claiming that one does not know about what is happening in Palestine is unarguably an inadequate excuse – as well as the excuse of claiming to be “neutral”. It is equally similar to siding with a thief when it is more than obvious that the victim is the one being robbed. Information about what is currently occurring in Palestine is also extremely accessible, meaning that it is nearly impossible for anyone with access to media and the internet to not know about it. This causes one to frustratingly ponder on the reason for choosing to remain “neutral” instead of standing up against what is inhumane. 

“Watch for just ten seconds” is a phrase found in many of the  Palestinians’ videos, as if watching their short video is impossible or unbearable. I find myself continuously wondering – why is it that Palestinians think that viewers will most likely ignore their video when they are experiencing the worst of difficulties? Being unable to watch a video that will simply use one minute out of the 1,440 minutes in a day is far from understandable. Unfortunately, even though countless innocent lives are experiencing unspeakable struggles, many people still do not comprehend the cruciality of helping them.

Another phrase that is used is, “I know that you are tired of our videos”. It is devastating that they are aware that the audience will most likely ignore their video. This highlights the idea that despite the magnitude of an issue’s urgency, individuals fail to grasp the severity of the situation. The Palestinians having to commit their utmost efforts to attract the viewers’ attention reveals a puzzling truth – social media, a world with innumerable amounts of information, is beginning to disregard urgent matters. According to author Aaron Smith, the spread of misinformation only worsens this situation. Furthermore, prioritizing catchy videos instead of global issues conceals the events that are occurring in Palestine. 

Ultimately, it is extremely troubling to see Palestinians continuously implementing hooks into their videos and apologizing to the audience. Unarguably, this situation urgently calls for an immediate change. To create a change, social media platforms should continuously strive to address global issues instead of barricading them. Relying on external tools to amplify suffering voices proves that we are incorrectly dealing with issues. It shines a spotlight on a society in which each inhumane action is taken into account, rather than being hidden behind dark walls.