The World of Onlookers & Bystanders

After watching "White Bear," I can understand why people would focus more on the justice or punishment aspect of the film. The directors took us on a journey with what seemed to be a young woman who was confused and in distress. They played on our emotions and made us form an attachment with the main character. We wanted answers and solutions for the character probably just as much as she did - up until we found out that she was an accomplice to a horrible crime. Many people felt that her punishment was justifiable up until a certain point.

However, I would like to focus more on the technological issues that the film presents. It is important to note that the creators of the Black Mirror series wanted their viewers to see that we have created a world full of onlookers and bystanders. Instead of having the natural instinct to help or save someone, we pull out our phones to record the incident. Not saying that some things should not be documented, but it should never outweigh the number of people who are actually putting forth the effort to help others. I think it is ironic that the civilians in the film thought it was okay to record this woman while she was being tortured just because she did the same to the little girl. Not that the woman's actions were okay, but I think it's a contradiction to punish people by doing the same thing you think is wrong.

I also thought it was pointless for the actors/civilians to continue doing the same thing to her everyday; especially, erasing her memory. I believe that if they really wanted her to learn from her mistakes then they would have let her experience the simulation once, learn from it, and try to redeem herself. It seems as though the people cared about how they felt more than the woman. While it is hard to have pity on someone who was an accomplice in kidnapping and murdering a child, we must remember that they are still human. If the shoe was on the other foot, I think we would all like a chance to redeem ourselves.

Furthermore, the onlookers recording every single thing, and the erasing of her memory allowing the same simulation to happen everyday also reminds me of our ill uses of technology today. For example, when people are recorded in sex tapes or fights and the videos are posted to the internet, these videos never actually disappear. When they are first released, they are usually played over and over everyday. Just imagine how the victims might feel? Seeing people laugh at them or scolding them everyday might sound like a fair punishment, but what if it only corrupts them and turns them even colder? Embarrassing someone or publicly humiliating them everyday isn't always the best choice. If they are reminded of their mistakes everyday, are we really giving them any room to change?