There is a persistent belief in the power of media images to transform the events they depict. Yet despite the instant availability of billions of images of human suffering and death in the continuous and connective digital glare of social media, the catastrophes of contemporary wars, such as in Syria and Yemen, unfold relentlessly. There are repeated expressions of surprise by some in the West when the dissemination of images of suffering and wars, particularly in mainstream news media, does not translate into a de-escalation of conflict.In this article I consider today's loosening of the often presumed relationship between media representation, knowledge and response under the conditions of “digital war”. This is the digital disruption of the relationship between warfare and society in which all sides participate in the uploading and sharing of information on, and images and videos of, conflict.Is it the case that the capacity of images of human injury and death to bring about change, and the expectation that they would stir practical intervention in wars, is and has been exaggerated? Even if we are moved or shocked upon being confronted by such images, does this translate into some form of action, individual or otherwise? In this article I contend that the saturation of information and images of human suffering and death in contemporary warfare has not ushered in a new era of “compassion fatigue”. Rather, algorithmically charged outrage is a proxy for effects. It is easy to misconstrue the velocity of linking and liking and sharing as some kind of mass action or mass movement.Humanitarian catastrophes slowly unfold in an age of continuous and connective digital glare, and yet they are unseen. If the imploded battlefield of digital war affording the most proximate and persistent view of human suffering and death in history cannot ultimately mobilize radically effective forms of public response, it is difficult to imagine what will.

中文翻译：

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数字战争后的媒体与同情：为什么数字媒体没有改变对当代冲突中人类苦难的反应

人们一直坚信媒体图像能够改变它们所描绘的事件。然而，尽管在社交媒体持续和相互关联的数字眩光中即时提供了数十亿张人类苦难和死亡的图像，但当代战争的灾难，如叙利亚和也门，仍在无情地展开。当传播苦难和战争的图像，尤其是在主流新闻媒体中，并没有转化为冲突的缓和时，西方一些人一再表示惊讶。 “数字战争”条件下的媒体表征、知识和反应之间的关系。这是战争与社会关系的数字化破坏，各方都参与上传和分享冲突信息、图像和视频。关于变革，以及他们会激起对战争的实际干预的期望，是否被夸大了？即使我们在面对这样的图像时感到感动或震惊，这是否会转化为某种形式的行动，个人或其他方式？在本文中，我认为当代战争中人类苦难和死亡的信息和图像的饱和并没有迎来“同情疲劳”的新时代。相反，算法引起的愤怒是效果的代表。人们很容易将链接、点赞和分享的速度误解为某种群众行动或群众运动。人道主义灾难在持续和连接的数字眩光时代缓​​慢展开，但它们却是看不见的。如果数字战争的内爆战场提供了历史上对人类苦难和死亡的最直接和持久的看法，但最终无法动员彻底有效的公众回应形式，那么很难想象会发生什么。