We’ve all heard stories about individuals ignoring somebody in need. Even of people taking out cell phones and recording a person in distress instead of offering a helping hand. Individuals sometimes feel less responsible for somebody in need when multiple people are present. That’s the ‘bystander effect’. One Texas woman is now speaking out about an experience she endured at a Walmart when she started choking and nobody rushed to her aid.
The woman, named Steph (@boho_mom_steph on TikTok), shared a video regarding her experience in a local Walmart. She recorded the video immediately following an event where she choked on a free sample that was given to her at the store. She explained, eyes still watery, “Guys, I just finished choking on a piece of food here in Walmart.”
She goes on to explain how it happened. Everybody in Walmart just stayed far away from her, possibly assuming she was just ill. She said, astonished, “And would you believe that nobody came and checked on me. I think they just thought I had some sort of sickness or something.”
TikTok viewers attributed her dilemma to what is known as the ‘bystander effect,’ saying that people will often not rush to help a person in need. One person commented on her video, “Don’t let these people gaslight you that this is normal behavior. I would have at least been like you good girl? Let’s not normalize the bystander effect!’ Another person warned, “You’ll probably see yourself on someone else’s FYP. People can record everything but lack human decency.”
There have been many examples of the bystander effect, including people virtually being assaulted and even killed in front of large groups. This unfortunate effect shows that people will sometimes fail to intervene because there is a presence of other people. These people might fear judgment from others or believe that they aren’t responsible for another person’s problems.
One commenter declared on Steph’s video, “I feel like after COVID people lost empathy :(“ but it goes further than that. At least in the U.S., it’s a systematic issue. And the people who didn’t help this poor woman in Walmart have a bad case of what I call ‘Not My Problem’ syndrome. Whether someone is family or not, you should help when someone’s in need. It’s good social hygiene!
