I thought I had seen it all - everything from police brutality to drunks on an aeroplane and incidents of road rage and racist rants. Hostages being shot or beheaded by terrorists - live, up close and personal. Nothing appears to be off limits.
Until last week ...
A clip of a woman, in domestic service, clinging by her fingers to a high-rise balcony while her employer not only watched, but videoed the entire event, including her cries for help and the moment she lost her grip and plummeted to the pavement below.
Remarkably, the poor woman survived, bones broken, spirit shattered and no doubt traumatised for life. Her screams have haunted me ever since.
This is where I have to come clean ... I watched it not once, not twice, but three times. Not out of enjoyment, but in the hope it was a joke, a prank ... something that could not possibly be a reality.
I was desperately hoping to see a dummy on the footpath, waiting for the bit where someone was going tell me I'd been punked.
Surely no human being could be so callous and cruel to not only witness the event but to record it and post it proudly on the web for the entire world to see.
It was then that the reality of the situation really hit home. My clicking, no matter how innocent, may have contributed in some small way to the wealth of a seriously sick individual.
It's hard to reconcile that people all over the planet are being financially rewarded for sharing such depraved offerings as this. Every mouse click equating to coin in the pocket for the hideous, heartless, human - but inhumane - poster.
I honestly don't know who is sadder - the people who video these repulsive snippets or the vulgar voyeuristic public who view it and then worse yet, share it. Myself included.
As human beings, we believe ourselves to be the superior lifeforms on planet Earth but actions such as these make me question that somewhat arrogant assumption - and, let's face it, an assumption is all that it is.
Humans are inherently selfish, self-obsessed and cruel. We almost relish in the mistreatment of those we deem to be inferior to us and often take great pleasure in being witness to another's pain. The average dog displays more loyalty, devotion and love than we do.
The way the world is going, the cat is not the only thing that curiosity will kill.
Bearing in mind that sickos can actually make a living from posts like these, we need to step up, resist temptation and not be so quick to click.
- Kate Stewart is a politically incorrect columnist of no repute who is currently taking a much-needed break from the internet. Feedback to - investik8@gmail.com
