Earlier, I wrote about a video stream on Twitch that lets you keep tabs on everything happening in protests around the country. But there may soon be an even better way to do that. A hyper local way through an app called Citizen, that can show you exactly what is happening in a specific area and with an added social media layer to boot.
Fast Company explains how it works, “Once you’ve signed up, Citizen drops you into a map studded with yellow and white dots. Each one represents an ‘incident’ based on radio communications between 911 dispatchers, police, fire departments, and other emergency responders, with yellow dots indicating recent updates. You might also see a stream of emoji—frowning faces, angry faces, praying hands, or hearts—popping up over particularly active incidents.”
It’s that social media component that makes Citizen particularly compelling as people can engage in lively debates about current events as they happen, helping to add further color to the incidents. But, ultimately, Citizen’s true value lies in its ability to serve as a tool for protesters. Helping them to survey the battlefield.
As Fast Company puts it:
“At its best, Citizen can be inspiring. When you’re viewing a steady stream of raw first-person video from the heart of a peaceful protest, it feels like you’re there in ways that Facebook and Twitter don’t quite replicate. And if you’re participating in those protests yourself, there’s value in seeing where people have congregated, what police are doing, and what’s coming over the emergency airwaves.”
And lately there’s been a lot coming over those airwaves. Which is why I’m thankful that something like Citizen exists. As great as cell phone cameras are for documenting injustice they can’t be everywhere at once. What’s also needed are resources that can see the bigger picture and help people on the ground coordinate their efforts in real time. Citizen, it seems, can do exactly that. Making it a welcome addition to our digital toolbox in the fight against racism.
Is Citizen the Greatest Idea Ever?
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