Just Because Everyone’s Doing It—Should You?
An opinion piece: By Cathy Mellett
When Being Seen Online Costs so many people so much. Let’s think about family and loved ones.
I’ve worked in the digital space for years now. I get how it works.
Most of us do.
We know that public spaces aren’t really private anymore.
You go to a concert, an event, even just the shops… there’s always a chance someone’s filming.
It’s become part of how we live now.
But just because we’ve accepted it doesn’t mean we should stop thinking about what we do with that content.
Last Wednesday, something happened at a Coldplay concert in the USA.
A man and woman- someone’s CEO, someone’s mother, someone’s manager, someone’s dad, someone’s partner, someone’s son or daughter – was filmed in a microscopic moment that turned out to be a very moment that would become far reaching. Way more than anyone in that stadium may have expected or known.
The impact and reach was family, business, legal implications, shareholders and so, so much more.
And that video? It didn’t stay with those in the stadium, witnessing the events first hand…
It went viral.
The woman who posted it later said she didn’t know what she was filming at the time.
Fair enough. But then she followed it with how many views she’d gotten.
This, just sat wrong with me.
What’s worse is how quickly people jumped on it.
Companies and creators mimicking the moment.
Role-playing it in skits.
Turning a sad, real thing into something to “engage your audience.”
And honestly – I am not here to talk about the incident itself. The rights and wrongs. As would have noted, I haven’t named those impacted at all.
Enough people have done that.
This isn’t about him or her anymore.
It’s about us.
Where are our lines?
In a world that measures success by clicks, likes and shares…
when did we stop asking whether something is simply the right thing to do?
I run a digital marketing agency. I’ve seen what performs.
But I’ve also seen how quickly empathy can disappear when content becomes a product and the want to secure reach, shares and engagements overrides respect, care and compassion for others.
And through my work with I’m Enough, I see daily how people feel like they’re not measuring up – like their worth is tied to visibility.
It’s not.
It never has been.
We’re so quick to share.
To jump on what’s trending.
To ride the wave of attention
But are we pausing to think about the human on the other side of the screen?
It’s easy to post.
Harder to stand back and say, “No, this doesn’t sit right with me.”
We’ve normalised exposure.
But exposure without care? That’s dangerous.
And it’s not about being perfect.
It’s about being human.
You don’t need to go viral at someone else’s expense.
You don’t need to use someone’s worst moment to boost your own visibility.
Before we post, before we imitate, before we reshare—
Can we just stop for a moment and ask:
Is this kind?
Is this fair?
Is this necessary?
And if the answer’s no… maybe don’t post it.
We can’t keep pretending that numbers matter more than people.
Because they don’t.
The views aren’t worth it.
The reach isn’t worth it.
The harm lasts a lot longer than the reel.
Let’s all do better.
Because it starts with each of us.
Choosing what really matters.
Not the likes.
Not the comments.
Not the “how well did it perform?”
But whether it showed some respect.
Although intangible, That’s what we should be measuring. And this, is exactly what allows us to sleep better at night.
