Filming on mobile phones during conflicts and violent events puts the person filming and others in danger, according to Scott Taylor, founder and managing director of security company Praesidium Risk.
Speaking at the Venue Safety and Security Exchange (VSX) conference in Sydney last week, Taylor used the example of the recent Bondi Junction Westfield incident, during which six people were attacked and killed by one armed person, to highlight the growing propensity of bystanders to pull out their phones and start filming. He said it reflected an instinctive response by many people.
“We all know fight, flight, or freeze (reactions) that occurs in conflict environments, especially around entertainment zones,” Taylor said, referring to how most people react to real or perceived threats. “Sadly, there’s a fourth one – film. It’s called lens syndrome. There are people, whether the incident is occurring at events, licenced premises, or what occurred in Bondi or shopping centres in Melbourne; people are pulling their mobile phones out and putting themselves and others in danger as part of their response.”
The fight-flight-freeze response is a survival instinct developed by humans thousands of years ago. Fight-or-flight is an active defence response whereby a person fights or flees, and the body reacts accordingly—a person’s heart rate drops, and oxygen supply to major muscles increases. A person’s pain perception also drops, and hearing improves. These physical responses better enable a person to respond appropriately to the risk.
In contrast, freezing involves suspending the fight-or-flight instinct. The physical changes are similar, but the individual stays still to get ready for the next move. These responses are automatic rather than considered. Taylor is adding filming to that automatic response. He suggests that more and more people are reaching for their phones without considering the consequences.
“We need to be present and aware and not be so device-centric,” he said to the room of security professionals. Research broadly supports Taylor’s comments. The research says the phenomenon is one of the downsides of technology. It also reflects a rising tide of individualism where people opt to film rather than help or move out of danger.
According to researchers, in a crowded environment, such as a Westfield, the presence of many other people may lead others to automatically assume someone else will neutralise the danger, leading them to prioritise filming the incident. A desire for documentation, a lack of training and knowledge, the social media culture, and the belief that filming may stop the threat are also factors behind lens syndrome. Footage posted online of the Bondi incident shows a man running through the shopping centre stabbing people, undeterred by the number of people filming him.
Taylor’s comments on filming formed part of a longer talk at the VSX on non-verbal cues by potential threat actors. He was as critical of the security industry relying on recording devices as the general public, saying that electronic surveillance had a role, but getting out and about in environments such as shopping centres and reading people’s faces and body language could be a far better tactic to prevent incidents such as the Bondi Westfield stabbings, which in turn, neutralises the problem of bystanders pulling out their phones to film and potentially escalating an already high-stress situation.
