The internet has become a breeding ground for a disturbing trend: fake social experiments. These often-terrifying videos, designed to go viral, present viewers with moral dilemmas, but in reality, they are creating a dangerous culture of inaction.
One common tactic is staging fake kidnappings. Creators like @andr3w_wave, with videos reaching millions of views, have filmed themselves ‘kidnapping’ children to see how bystanders react. Other creators have pretended to be blind, needing help navigating stairs, or have faked spiking a date’s drink. Some have even gone as far as pretending to be suicidal, attempting to jump from a bridge to see if anyone will intervene.
While these creators often claim their videos are designed to draw attention to important issues, clinical psychologist Dr. Daniel Glazier warns that they are creating a dangerous culture of skepticism and inaction. He compares it to the story of ‘the boy who cried wolf.’ By manufacturing false emergencies and publicly shaming those who don’t react, viewers are becoming desensitized to genuine emergencies. The more they see these staged events, the harder it becomes for them to differentiate real crises from fake ones, leading to a reluctance to act.
Beyond the risk of desensitization, these videos raise serious ethical concerns. Dr. Glazier points out the lack of consent involved in these situations, as unwitting bystanders are put into stressful situations without their knowledge. The online shaming of those who don’t react adds another layer of distress, potentially causing immense psychological harm. This phenomenon also echoes the ‘bystander effect,’ a theory that suggests people are less likely to help in emergencies when there are more witnesses. The fear of being judged or the belief that someone else will take action can hinder individual intervention.
These fake experiments have even led to real-world consequences. In one video, a bystander intervened in a staged kidnapping, threatening the creator with a gun. In another, a man physically intervened to protect a child in a staged ‘ice cream’ scenario. These incidents highlight the potential for violence and misunderstanding when people react to what they believe to be real emergencies.
Beyond the ethical and safety concerns, the insensitivity of mimicking real-world issues cannot be overlooked. Pretending to be suicidal or blind trivializes serious struggles faced by many. Dr. Glazier argues that instead of exploiting human behavior for entertainment, creators should focus on educational campaigns that teach people how to identify genuine emergencies and provide appropriate assistance. The goal should be to foster a culture of active community engagement and support, not erode public trust through deceptive situations. These staged ‘social experiments’ may generate views and likes, but they come at a steep cost: a diminished sense of community and an increased risk of inaction in genuine emergencies.
