Doing anything for clicks and likes has become the clarion call for wannabe social media celebrities around the world.
Ranging from self-destructive to antisocial behavior, these acts make us all question to what end social media is incentivizing this and how we are complicit.
But, at a point, you would think that some form of common sense would enter the picture. Surely, the reasonable among us opine that there are some boundaries that content creators just shouldn’t cross.
Yet, time and again, we come to these stories where they not only cross boundaries but also plunge to new lows in their search for our attention.
Today’s headline is about a content creator in Charles County, Maryland, in the United States, who intentionally set fire to a building in order to record firefighters putting it out – all for social media likes and views.
Apparently, the person who called in the fire had called in other emergencies to post to social media and was known to the Charles County authorities for previous calls. After allegedly describing a scenario in which he “stumbled” upon the burning, vacant building, authorities began to get a little more than suspicious, given the creator’s history with emergency services.
Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray told WMAR2News, “Arson is a serious crime that puts lives at risk and places an unnecessary burden on our first responders. I commend our Deputy State Fire Marshals who worked tirelessly in this case… We want to remind the public that making false 911 calls is a criminal offense, and anyone who engages in such reckless behavior will be held accountable.”
Authorities are now investigating other incidents involving the content creator.
Any thoughts you might have on content creation for social media are welcome in the comments.
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