WE talk a lot about empathy and com-passion on social media, but what I recently saw in the wake of a heart-breaking incident on the Islamabad Motorway was highly disgusting.

A car had caught fire, and in that tragic moment, a young girl was seen crying helplessly near the burning vehicle. Sadly, instead of stepping forward to help her, most bystanders chose to record videos on their mobile phones so that they may post them on social media and expand their ‘reach’.

The incident reflects the painful decline of ethics and humanity in society. When someone is in distress, our first duty as human beings should be to provide support and comfort. Unfortunately, the obsession with social media content has made many of us spectators rather than helpers.

Ethics demand that in such emergencies, we act with compassion and responsibility. Recording tragedies may fetch views, but it cannot replace the value of saving a life or consoling a victim. A viral video may be forgotten tomorrow, but an act of humanity can change lives forever.

Khudija Sakhawat
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2025