- Step Feed - Jason Lemon
Just one day after two suicide bombers killed more than 40 people and injured more than 200 in Beirut’s southern suburbs, the world turned its attention to Paris as attackers, claimed by ISIS, wreaked terror upon France’s cultural hub.
As Lebanese were still reeling with shock of the devastating attack – the first bombing the city had experienced in more than a year – they turned to social media to express their solidarity with Parisians.
However, as the death toll in Paris grew to nearly 130 with hundreds more injured, Facebook activated its “safety check” feature, an option it has used for natural disasters in the past. The feature allows users to mark themselves as “safe,” sending a notification to their friends and associates on the social media site.
Quickly, Lebanese and others on social media began to question why this feature was not initiated in the wake of Beirut’s devastating terror attack.
So, doesn’t Beirut also deserve a safety check and global outrage?
Facebook has since added the option for users to add a French flag overlay to their profile image – another step that was lacking following the Beirut attacks – making it clear that the global social media site places far greater importance on lives lost in Paris than in the Middle East.