Where would I be without the internet? I suppose we roam on the internet because we aren't able to find in our physical lives the human connection we need for survival. So we search endlessly online alone.
-From Elisa Lam’s Tumblr account
I could not wait to watch Netflix’s new season of Crime Scene last night, having followed the Elisa Lam case at the Hotel Cecil. I won’t spoil any of the major details if you’re unfamiliar with the tragedy, but having lost several friends to severe bi-polar disorder I was affected in a personal way by the story.
Yet, while I was engrossed in the case and wanted to know more, my interest was nothing compared to the army of amateur web sleuths who internalized the Lam disappearance and made it their life’s focus to find out what “really” happened. Finishing the series, I ended up even more affected by how frighteningly easy it was for hundreds of people all over the world to claim authority over the details, devolve into conspiracy theories, and attack those who disagreed with them—from thousands of miles away, with absolutely no professional detective experience and no direct involvement in the case.
As I fell asleep last night, I was more jarred by the obsessive behavior and self-importance of the amateur crime enthusiasts than the crime itself.
Where would I be without the internet? At complete peace.
-David Driscoll