- Jo Paul Kiriyanthan
The disturbing scenes that unfolded during the funeral of actor Salim Kumar have once again exposed a growing psychological problem of the digital age: the inability to respect emotional boundaries. What should have been a sacred space for grief became, for some, an opportunity to create content. Cameras moved closer as family members struggled with loss, reminding us that technology has advanced much faster than our emotional maturity.
Psychology teaches that boundaries are essential for healthy human relationships. They protect our sense of self, preserve dignity, and create safe spaces for emotional expression. Grief, in particular, is one of the most vulnerable human experiences. During bereavement, people often experience shock, confusion, helplessness, and emotional disorientation. Being photographed or recorded without consent during such moments can intensify stress and create a feeling that even one’s deepest pain is no longer one’s own.
An important psychological concept in this context is voyeurism, not merely in its clinical sense, but as a social behaviour. Digital voyeurism is the tendency to observe, consume, and sometimes even enjoy the intimate moments of others without participating in their humanity. Social media has made this easier than ever. We watch strangers cry, suffer, and mourn from the safety of our screens, often forgetting that they are not characters in a story but real people carrying real pain. The more we consume such content, the more society risks becoming emotionally desensitised.
Sometimes making social approval more attractive than moral reflection. When attention becomes a form of currency, human suffering can unconsciously become a commodity.
The social media culture of constant sharing has gradually blurred the distinction between what is public and what is private. The phenomenon known as the “online disinhibition effect” explains that people often behave differently behind a camera or a screen than they would in direct human interaction. A person who would hesitate to walk into a grieving family’s living room may feel justified in filming them because the digital environment reduces empathy and increases emotional distance.
Another psychological factor is the growing desire for validation. Likes, views, and shares stimulate the brain’s reward system, sometimes making social approval more attractive than moral reflection. When attention becomes a form of currency, human suffering can unconsciously become a commodity. The danger is not only that creators lose sensitivity, but that viewers also become accustomed to consuming private pain as entertainment.
A healthy society depends on the ability to recognise invisible boundaries. Empathy is the capacity to imagine oneself in another person’s emotional world. Before recording a funeral, an accident, or a moment of personal tragedy, one simple psychological question should arise: “Would I want this done to me or to someone I love?” If the answer is no, the ethical response is to lower the camera.
