our interconnectedness not only as a nation but also as a global community; the internet, social media and bullet holes are like the connected dots that make our generation beyond each others shores. - Eugene Lang says this about millennials (in Me & Mass Shootings)
The video this week largely speaks for itself. I will provide some context. Why are gun violence and mass shootings important to Australians? Australia has fewer guns then America, that is an undeniable fact because of this we have fewer shootings. But technology has allowed for global friendships to form. For Australians to connect with people in countries where gun violence is a major issue. That is what this video addresses.
Me & Mass Shootings was posted in June 2016, after what is now the 2nd deadliest shooting in American history, the shooting at Orlando nightclub Pulse ("Mass shootings in the United States," n.d.). So many more shootings have happened since then including the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida ("Stoneman Douglas High School shooting," n.d.) which changed the post-shooting refrain. The messages behind this video are now being spread in America by Gen Z lead by the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. This is American but the prevalence of technology for Millennials and Gen Z mean that what impacts one impacts us all, we all feel each other’s pain.
This is my second video from Buzzfeed. This one demonstrates the difference between generations, the diversity between them. The first time I saw Me & Mass Shootings I was got so sad, then so angry. As a millennial I am in this generation, my life has been impacted by the violence and fear of war and terror. I was in early high school when September 11 happened, and we were shown that repeatedly. Over half the male from my graduating high school class joined the military. And this video spoke to me, despite living in a country without easy access to guns the fear was always there. How must it be for those younger than me who have never known a world without gun violence, war splashed across their screens, newsfeeds?. I need to share another quote for perspective.
As the adults argued politics we kids went through a massive tonal shift when it came to our perspective on our culture and our security. And that is when I became paranoid. Because our parents had wars and we had Columbine. – Eugene Yang in Me & Mass Shootings
I only share this as a way to promote another worldview. My world is global, my friends global and most of my generation is the same.
Like last weeks K-pop piece became personal. But sometimes allowing part of yourself onto the internet, into the world is the only way to make the point.
References
BuzzFeedVideo. (2016, June 23). Me and mass shootings. [YouTube Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2wPCbazMjQ
Mass shootings in the United States. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_shootings_in_the_United_States
Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoneman_Douglas_High_School_shooting
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