We film instead of help.
When someone is drowning, getting hurt or in danger, the first move for many people now is to hit record.
The goal is the clip and the views, not the person who needs help. Across 16.2 million U.S. emergency medical calls, responders recorded a bystander helping in just 11% of cases.1 Psychologists call it the bystander effect: the more people watch, the more each assumes someone else will act.2 A phone adds a reason to keep watching, because recording feels like doing something.3
Responders recorded a bystander helping in just 11% of 16.2 million U.S. emergency medical calls (NEMSIS study).
More numbers
people having a medical emergency on a U.S. street got help from a bystander before EMS arrived.4
In a classic experiment, 70% of people alone helped a woman they thought was hurt. Only 40% did when paired with a stranger.2
The other side
Bystanders often do step in, and video can help. Recordings can serve as evidence, and some 911 centers now use live video from callers.
of real public conflicts caught on camera had at least one bystander step in to help (UK, Netherlands and South Africa). Philpot et al., 2019 ↗
Why Anthony still holds this view
Video can help after help is called, not instead of it. Call 911 first, then record if it’s safe.
For marketers
Viral moments tempt brands too. Don’t reward or repost footage of people in distress, and celebrate the people who help.
For you
If you see someone in trouble, call 911 or point at one person and ask them to call. Record only after help is on the way.