With Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland these were acts of instinctive responsiveness to a high stress moment. It was preservation, documentation, a digital response, by a generation that carries a veritable video recording and production unit in their pocket or their purse, everywhere they go. In addition to the video software bundled into every phone, there are free or inexpensive apps they can download to enhance their video capabilities and their production qualities.
In 2018 we are long past the question of “when should a kid have a cell phone?” Texting is a bona fide method of communicating. It seemed that every kid at Parkland had a smartphone. They were born into the Digital era. Their parents understand and accept them as connected kids. This led to digital or connected communications amidst the massacre. Some of those were calming, others heartbreaking.
One kid texted his father…”I love you, I’m hiding in the closet with the class—" And then his phone died, leaving the father in state of panic for hours until he learned his son was safe.
What has been the aftermath of the massacre, how have the teenagers from the school responded? With grief, yes. But also with very contained, directed outrage, seeking action. The Parkland kids have taken leadership. Key parts of their toolkit are digital. Their phones, videos, even those videos made during the massacre. Their Facebook group as the home base of operations. Their use of Twitter, of the #NeverAgain hashtag. The posting of videos, calendar and scheduling tools to arrange travel and gatherings. These are perfect examples of a digitally powered generation using the tools natively. It’s strategic and instinctive. To them it’s second nature. In some ways it outclasses a few of the top Fortune 500 companies use of digital tools.
Many cable news channel reporters and mainstream media have been astounded by the response, and the sophisticated level and organization of the actions the teenagers have launched. #NeverAgain is a Digitally Empowered Movement. This is Social Activism via smartphone and electronic media.