What Would You Do?

Imagine if you will, a family out enjoying dinner at a local restaurant. One of the kids has a hard time keeping still. The child may even be disruptive, complicate this with a customer who is insensitive and vocal,…What would you do?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9NaTdzt4M0&w=560&h=315]

 

Now imagine a person who experiences an intellectual disability working at a place of business that you frequent. Some customer is being disrespectful and just plain rude to the employee,…What would you do?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc_K9c24R5o&w=420&h=315]

 

And lastly, watch a teenager with a speech impediment placing an order for ice cream and how she gets bullied,…What would you do?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fqgEjLu1mE&w=560&h=315]

 

These types of scenarios happen more often than anyone should have to imagine.

In order to live in a world where everyone is treated with respect and empathy, we each have to be willing to be respectful and empathetic. We also have to speak up and advocate for those who are unable to do so for themselves.

Primetime: What Would You Do? is an American newsmagazine and situational hidden camera television program that has been broadcast on ABC since February 26, 2008. It is hosted by news correspondent John Quiñones.

Using hidden cameras, host John Quiñones observes and comments on how ordinary people behave when they are confronted with dilemmas that require them either to take action or to walk by and mind their own business. Various scenarios are created, featuring actors acting out the scenes, that force people to make split-second — and often surprising — decisions and variations of the situation (such as changing the genders, races or clothing of the people involved) are often featured to see if different reactions are elicited.

Quiñones appears at the end of each scenario to interview bystanders and witnesses about their reactions. As the experiment goes on, psychology professors, teachers, or club members watch and discuss the video with Quiñones, explaining and making inferences on the bystanders’ reactions.

Often times the scenes are based on real life situations that people have written in about and Quiñones interviews the real victims and their reactions of how it compares to their own experiences.

What would you do if confronted with a similar situation?