Adult illiteracy is a very serious issue affecting societies. In the United State only, 32 million adults in the US being functionally illiterate, lacking minima skills like reading and writing to function well in society. Unlike children, adults seldom have access to remediation programs meant to tackle illiteracy. So the possibility of going illiterate for life is high. Illiteracy comes with a stigma, forms a cycle of poor literacy skills and gets difficult to breakthrough. Most adult victims hide their inabilities in public places for fear of been ridicule by the literate.
Today’s video is about a social experiment on adult illiteracy crisis in Jasper, Alabama tagged “What Will You Do?”. ABC News staged in a real-life scenario in a coffee shop where an illiterate man is being shamed and debased by a cashier because of his inability to read the menu list and make his orders. Varying answers were explored with the help of hidden cameras that captured individual responses to the scenario These individual’s split-second decisions to intervene or mind their own business reveals a typical response from the larger society.
So in this video, the pranked victims all offered to help the illiterate man pull of the situation, patiently read the list to him and frown at the cashier’s rude behavior. The last prank victim’s reaction wasn’t envisaged. She struggled to control her tear while explaining that not everyone has the opportunity to education.
So people are illiterate not because they want to but life isn’t just bright on them. If you have once been in a needy situation, you will love to watch how people responded to the illiterate guy.
If you were in the prank victims’ positions, what will you do?
