Terrorism and Technology- The World is Changing

Yesterday, as terrorists attacked London, some passengers in the Underground wanted to make sure that the world saw what they saw. As people ran through the tunnels trying to reach street level through clouds of smoke, a few took out their camera phones to capture the horror of this tragedy.

Cell phones with cameras were originally meant for entertainment. Now these phones are being used to make news. According to an article that appeared in today's Washington Post Camera Phones lend immediacy to Images of Disaster "the availability of the cameras, combined with the ability to transmit pictures and text instantaneously, is enabling the world to view news with nearly the immediacy of a victim or eyewitness."

Just hours after the tragedy these pictures made international news giving viewers a first hand account of the attack. Dozens of personal blog sites and news organizations' Web sites, including those of the BBC, CNN, and The Sun, solicited pictures and video from bystanders caught in the carnage. The bombs in London were no longer something that happened across the ocean. Yesterday, technology made the World smaller.

Emotions were not only shared around the world through pictures. Hours after the attacks the Guardian Newspaper set up a blog where people could write about their personal experience from the day. The blog is a good way for people to get out their feelings and vent their anxiety. One woman wrote, "As I was going towards the exit there was this smell. Like burning hair. And then the people starting walking out, soot and blood on their faces. And then this woman's face. Half of it covered in blood."

Technology has continued to change and impact the way we see the news. Yesterday the World saw a terror attack very differently then we did on 9/11 and even the bombing in Madrid. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of London.