Does death still hold the same power it does in protests today?

After reviewing the content we’ve covered over the past few weeks it has occurred to me that frequently in protests, death marks a pivotal moment that transforms the movement. The ultimate price has been paid, someone has given their life for the cause. For example, Billy Sell in “The Strike.” and Thích Quảng Đức in “Still Burning: Self-Immolation as Photographic Protest”. Even if someone might not understand the pain that the oppressed are going through, people all understand the loss of life. Many would do anything to prevent it. This is why acts of protests like self-immolation and hunger strikes are so effective. They immediately make one think of what could have led to this person or people deciding that this cause was worth dying? That this was the only solution? It displays the pain and injustice suffered by the collective group, taken on by the individual.

However, I raise a question. In this digital age of social media, does death still hold the same power? I’m not arguing for or against any position but rather starting up a conversation. In this day and age we have access to see virtually anything we want at any point in time. I’m not saying for other movements that change happened immediately, or death doesn’t spark protests or conversation in the modern age (George Floyd, Renee Good, Aaron Bushnell), but I’m wondering if when others see death today, if they are desensitized. The Civil Rights Movement was one of the first times Americans could see the unjust treatment of African-American’s on their screens. Today, we see so much of violence and death constantly. I simply wonder if society today would react as strongly to Thích Quảng Đức. Would we scroll? Or would it spark conversation but die down? Is anything shocking? Is death unique?