Newhouse Assistant Professor Jennifer Grygiel on Social Media’s Influence During Disaster

During the harrowing minutes of gunfire in a Parkland, Florida high school last week, many students captured the action via different social media sites. Now, those videos have jumped across the internet, being viewed by millions, with some unintentionally watching. In a NBC News article, social media expert and Newhouse professor Jennifer Grygiel explained how social media relays these events.

“It’s almost reality TV of school shootings,” she said. “This could be causing emotional harm to everyone who is consuming this without warning.” Additionally, she added, “it’s being normalized in a strange way and not being presented in its seriousness.”