A video went viral this week of a toddler named Yue Yue wandering into the street in Foshan city, China. She was hit by two vans on Oct. 13, 2011. This video has circulated across the globe and has been watched by millions of viewers within hours of the incident. The truly shocking part of the video was the reactions from the first driver and bystanders. The first driver knowingly ran over the little girl and 18 people passed right by her body before one woman tried to help the two-year old. Yue Yue has since died from her injuries. Some have argued that the lack of legal protection for good samaritans has caused people to become fearful of helping those in need. Despite this, the apathy of the bystanders has raised some alarming questions concerning the values of Chinese society.
The nature of social media has made information instantly accessible. Social movements, natural disasters and celebrity gossip are known all over the world as soon as they happen. People have formed communities online and come together in support of causes or to speak out.
Social media has been used to:
- Disseminate information
- Demand change
- Show solidarity
- Connect across vast geographical and social distances
In Yue Yue’s case, social media has been the vehicle for all of these. On Sina Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, the incident has been the No. 1 topic generating more than 4.5 million posts. The footage and images have reached audiences across the globe via Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites even faster than some news sources. There has been an outpouring of support for the family and cries against apathy.
If you were in a similar situation, what would you do? If it meant getting in trouble, would you still help?
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