to Selfies Equated to postcards, they are a way to share our experiences with friends and family on social media. It's one thing to pose silly for a photo on the beach or square, but what if you're visiting a Holocaust memorial?
It became common to take silly, goofy photos in places like Japanese “suicide forests” or concentration camps. And it is widely seen as controversial and in poor taste.
In 2017, the German-Israeli artist Shahak Shapira launched a project that put viewers to shame. Selfies At the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin. The project was called Yolocast – it was “Yolo” (You only live once, You Only Live Once, Portuguese) and the Holocaust. It brought together historic photographs of victims of the Nazi regime with photographs of visitors juggling and jumping, posing and playing at a German memorial.
Since then, security guards reality They feel justified in shaming those who take photographs at Holocaust-related sites. Many opinions”jaundice” in these photographs, as a form of censorship, judgment and moral panic.
We analyzed hundreds of posts, topics and comments to understand how people reacted Selfies Perceived and punished by others reality. We reviewed publications with tags Auschwitz, a site in Poland and a memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin.
Based on our analysis, we believe that it is better for young people to interact with the Holocaust in their own way than not. We believe that some of the commenters may be as guilty as those who bring it down Selfies, by using their opinions to position themselves positively. Ironically, they point to those who take this precisely for granted Selfies: They use the Holocaust as a prop to focus the debate.
Vigilance and public shaming have been a part of life for centuries – think angry villagers with raised pitchforks. Vigilantes are supposed to prevent, investigate, and punish behavior that is generally considered wrongful without legal authority.
Awakeners reality (or “digilants”) punish others for transgressions reality. When they feel that someone has committed a crime or mistake on the Internet, they act in the form of cancellation culture. There is definitely a fine line between constructively questioning someone and publicly shaming them.
Who is insulted?
We found out it wasn't just a photo (we also saw photos of non-existent tourists Selfies) which attracts shame reality. Some people are more likely to receive negative comments than others, depending on factors such as age, gender, cultural identity, pose and facial expressions, and captions accompanying photos.
Young people, especially those who were conventionally attractive — especially women, especially those who posted in English or Spanish — attracted more negative comments. In contrast, older and less conventionally “attractive” people, men, and those who post in, for example, Italian or Spanish are more likely to be ignored.
Some of these patterns seem to relate to the way young women are often sexualized and humiliated. realityEspecially regarding Selfies with model postures. For some commentators, it is more acceptable to shame those whom society already considers irresponsible and not serious.
Location is also important. Berlin Monument While many tourist behaviors are considered “respectable” by commentators, it is rare to find people taking Selfies In Auschwitz. This is probably due to the fact that Auschwitz is a paid destination with structured guided tours.
In contrast, the Berlin Monument is an open, artistic installation that is part of the public landscape. Its purpose and meaning are not immediately apparent. It accommodates some Selfies An accidental part of tourism in Berlin, innocents are captured.
Another predictor of negative comments: the captions of the photos we saw. The photo attracted more critical comments if the caption was disrespectful or suggested a lack of engagement with the history and memory of the Holocaust. Those who tried to justify or intellectualize their photography were generally less censored.
A case in point is when a woman posted a photo of herself jumping between cement slabs of a Berlin monument. But his photo was accompanied by a careful caption that openly questioned whether his behavior was moral.
“Part of you wants to explore the structure of what it is. The other says you can't participate in anything that makes you happy while you're here,” he wrote. The topic seems neutral. Self portrait Funny, your publication avoids critical comments.
Think before insulting
Although the Auschwitz museum tells visitors not to take them SelfiesAnd even if you take Selfies As disrespectful as some commentators have argued, we are not suggesting that it should be banned.
We consider it vital to keep alive the memory – however imperfect – of the more than six million Jews and millions of others killed by the Nazis. This can best be done through a normal, complicated and chaotic, but happy life, as opposed to the life that the victims of the Nazi regime could not have.
We also believe it is important to question what moves people themselves.Digilents”. Some use their opinions to show their moral superiority rather than trying to teach or influence the behavior of selfie-takers.
Before Joining”Digilents” And if you comment on something you think is disrespectful, think about why you're doing it — these images, captions, and comments usually show that there's more to it. subtleties “Ethical” behavior rather than being captured in a photograph.
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Craig White is Professor of Tourism University Edinburgh Napier.
Fiona Stanley is Professor of Intercultural Communication (Tourism and Languages) at the same university.