A digital marketplace, a digital playground and overall, a digital world. 

The digital world also became a digital crime scene as social media platforms filled with footage of the assasination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday, Sept. 10, during a speaking engagement on Utah Valley University’s campus. Soon after, the footage was posted to social media for the world to see. 

Marshall students were no exception for those who witnessed the moment through a small silver screen.

“As a Christian man, you’re not supposed to see that,” said Cam Watts, freshman sports marketing major. “It’s not something you should be able to see. I think whoever posted it is disrespectful to his family.”

Marshall student Sammie Shay said the video felt traumatic.

“Sometimes, I’m walking through campus, and I just see it,” Shay said. “It was very scary to witness.”

Social media, she said, has taken a strange turn. 

“I think social media is almost out of hand a little bit because of how fast things spread,” she said. 

An echo chamber of opinions: a phrase coined by Charity Ingraham, Marshall Chi Alpha employee. Social media, she said, is just that.

TikTok, she said, is just one example.

“Their algorithm is very specific,” she said. “I end up with an echo chamber of things that I agree with, and I think that is bad for you.”

Ingrahan said she had not seen the Charlie Kirk video at the time.

“I think it’s bad for you either way, seeing that type of content,” she said. “I think people tend to be interested in things that are shocking.”

Whichever political stance you take, Ingraham said she feels it isn’t okay to celebrate violence.

Casually posting your outfit or a nonaesthetic evening out with friends isn’t the goal of social media anymore, biology major Avery Lother said. 

“There used to be a big thing of people posting pictures,” Lother said. “I don’t think that’s really prevalent anymore.” 

And what is prevalent?  

“It’s less about spreading information and news,” he said. “It’s people saying mean things just to make themselves feel better, and they feel protected because they’re not visibly shown.”

Lother said he considers himself a Republican, and even if Kirk wasn’t, he still thinks the video shouldn’t be online. 

Holly Belmont can be contacted at [email protected].