Physical - The photograph depicts this deceased baby boy in a red shirt on a Turkish Beach. His face is face down in the sand as the waves push up against his tiny lifeless body.
Psychological - More than 2,600 people have died trying to migrate to Europe this year, so why has this one little boy made such an impact? Some say that it is because he is so young, so small. Some say that it is because he appears to be alone in the world: that society has failed this tiny spirit. Either way that you look at it, this single photograph has stirred up awareness, comassion and discussion about the Syrian War Refugees.
Socially- This young boy is now a recognized face as a refugee. He represents all of the loss that has happened in this region of the world. He is not the only child lost, but because of this photograph, he is representing them all.
Temporal - This photo was taken on September 2nd, but refugees have been fleeing Syria for much longer than that. Because of this photograph, and the influence that it has had on people around the world, the U.K. has already agreed to change it's policy and accept thousands more refugees, and I believe that this is just the beginning.
Cultural - Most cultures view children to be innocent, and worthy of adult protection. I think that this photograph has had an extremely emotional effect on many different people around the world. This photograph is the epitome of unprotected, lost innocence.
It is interesting to me that social media has such an
effect on everything in our lives. Political events, emotions,
international affairs, literally everything. This photograph has spread
over social media like wildfire, creating awareness throughout the
world. Social media has helped create an awareness about this event that
I think could not have been created any other way. It's so immediate,
unlike newspapers, or even televised news events.
This photograph is so poignant. It makes me so sad, and so sympathetic for everyone who is in his situation. So many lives have been lost, and it's a shame that it took an image like this to enrage the world about this event going on. This photograph makes people feel for and connect with these refugees.
As a photography major, I've had countless discussions on the ethics of photography. Many of the photographs that we have discussed deal with deceased children in natural disasters, or situations like this. I think that photographs like this communicate to the world that these people need our help. It's just such a shame that it takes the death of a child to create such action.
This photo makes my heart hurt.
You couldn't have said it better, social media does have such a huge impact on everything in our lives. I too have had countless discussions regarding ethics in photography. In one article I read, it said that journalists see these kinds of photos all the time, yet choose not to publish them due to the graphic nature of them. I feel that the only way the world is going to know and understand what is truly going on, is to see and feel the impact of images such as this one. It is such a shame that it does take a photo of this magnitude to create action in others.
ReplyDeleteListen or read this - http://www.wpr.org/remembering-9-11-through-lens-photojournalist
ReplyDeleteI teach digital photojournalism and hope to have you enrolled this Spring. You said, "This photo makes my heart hurt." That vulnerability is a prerequisite to being a good photojournalist. Many believe shots like these are achieved through some sort of disconnected psyche, but I'd contend that the shooter who cannot or does not feel the weight of the story through their lens does not deserve to release the shutter.