What do you observe from the picture you see above?
The photo was taken at a Long Beach Rite-Aid after Tuesday's 5.4-magnitude rumble dubbed the Chino Hills earthquake. And, aside from the obvious story here—a mess of product splattered sloppy all over the floor—you might also notice the low-quality resolution.
And just as ABC7.com is fascinated by their viewers' personal snapshots, it's times like these when the demand for everyday photos by everyday people make the most sense. It's proof to how our often-obsessive relationships with our technological gadgets can serve as a positive tool in a worrisome, catastrophic time. Taking photos like these—as ABC7.com says, "See It. Shoot It. Send It."—and showing the rest of the world what you've experienced may help to cool down those otherwise negative tensions of frustration and confusion.
Keeping in tune with our communication networks via our camera phones and texting systems, for example, expedite the show-and-tell process of what's really happening and, most of all, they help us tell our own stories and help express our innermost, intimate thoughts in world-against-Man episodes, such as today's.
Our own stories seem to matter the most. And it seems like younger generations are first to share.
I noticed that minutes, if not seconds, after the 11:42 a.m. rumbling occurred, a steady flood of status updates popped onto my Facebook news feed. Friends on vacation celebrated "enjoying a fault-free Sweden," while some mellowed in cool one-liners: "I am an aftershock."
A stream of dialogue continued on MySpace.com's Cal State Long Beach discussion boards, students revealing fears of "the big one," to sharing how the quake interrupted a SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration) session in a Liberal Arts building—the leader dashing for the door.
When you stand in your living room doorway alone, miles (maybe oceans) from parents at work and friends at school, all you want to know is if they're fine. One of my friends simply quieted panicked inquiries with the status "is alive to tell the story."
But thanks to a society that's grown accustom to catering a Wi-Fi generation of bloggers, paparazzi-like picture-takers and 24/7 Facebook fans, worrying on how to get in touch with friends and loved ones is no obstacle.
You want to know where everybody's at and how they reacted to the newness and wackness of Mother Nature swaying what she's got. And you get it.
"Earthquake! Yeah, I ducked and covered," filled in a friend.
Updates multiplied as the day went along. Though some came as fast as the CSULB Alerts rushed through my e-mail and rung through to my cell phone, announcing evacuation, then building marshals and police officers checking buildings for key obstructions, like "structural damage," and then finally announcing re-entries.
Here are some status updates taken from Facebook.com that were expressed by CSULB students after the Chino Hills quake:
Amanda Martin is alive in Chino.
Jeff Taylor's truck was shaking at a stoplight. (Alumni, '08)
Joshua Lofgren just felt an earthquake. (Status updated 11:52 a.m.)
Michael I. Cruz-Herrera is having a California day: An eathquake, a brushfire, and a police chase.
Jon Nieva has either experienced an earthquake or is hallucinating. Maybe both.
Anthony Guy saved the television before saving himself. Nice earthquake.
Nina Nguyen went back to sleep during the earthquake.
Taylor Hensley was in my first earthquake this morning!!! Ahh. (Alumni, '07)
Kirsten Brzezinski had never felt an earthquake before!
Nick Hayes I was in the kitchen, washing a dish, when I felt it. So I came out.
Melissa Jeffes 's cat felt the quakes coming. That is cool.
Emerson Gregori that was a big one. (Status updated at 11:52 a.m.)
Andre Ashook found out that the abc studio is in glendale, the news guy said it every 3 seconds.
Kyla Gore just experienced her first earthquake!!! on the 14th floor! (Status updated at 11:46 a.m.)
Ben Farris thought the earthquake was kids running in the hall till it kept going. (Alumni, '08)
Rebecca Goldberg is welcomed back to California with an earthquake! (Status updated at 11:52 a.m.)
Jeffrey Blutinger was quite calm during the recent unpleasantness, standing quietly by my china hutch as the room swayed and creaked. (Jewish Studies professor)
Angela Hsu is 45% applejuice, 45% chicken noodle and 10% earthquake.
Jordan Laurence Digby lost 2 turtles in the earthquakes. R.I.P. Johnny Storm and Reed Richards.
Kristi Marie McLaughlin ... At least the 405 didn't crumble with this one. Sunshine and earthquakes—gotta love California! lol.
Keisha Sankweno Kintaudi damn earthquake came from nowhere. (Status updated at 12:10 p.m.)
Servando Alvarez is enjoying the earthquake!!
Matt Moocarme I'm an adventurer!! Just in my first EARTHQUAKE weeeeeee!!!
Victor Camba used to be terrified of earthquakes as a kid. Not so much now, apparently.
Spenser Garden shake that thing.
Patricia Anderson was sanding her walls on a ladder when the earthquake started, with a hurt ankle... Not cool Mother Nature. Not cool.
Melody Plastow just heard about the earthquake! Is everyone OK??
Jonathan Kiser So, what's all this talk about an earthquake?
Kevin Shin that earthquake was fun.
Lorraine Rowan enjoyed the earthquake today!
Alejandra Campoy is cleaning up all the earthquake messes... And likes reading all the statuses about earthquakes too. Haha.
Piera Alvarez JUST FELT A STRONG EARTHQUAKE! RUNNNN!!!
Tom Blanchard is picking up all the pictures that fell during the quake.
Brendan Hurt The quake f*cked up my omelette.
Loren Edwards is enjoying her Earthquake Day, So Cal's version of a Snow Day, and not having to go back to work.
