6 Cell Phone Videos That Show The Best In Humanity

Technology's impact on the world all starts with the click of a button.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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With the ability to shoot video on cell phones and quickly upload footage to large audiences from anywhere on the planet, everyday citizens are becoming photojournalists at a moment’s notice. By having the bravery to film an event or person, anyone with a phone can blur the lines between what the world sees as truth or fiction, and can help bring events to light – all by hitting record at the right time on a device that fits in your pocket.

From parties to protests to prayers, we’ve compiled some of the most significant cell phone videos to date that show the best in humanity. By mobilizing people on social media and the Internet alike, these videos will continue to shape the way we look at ourselves and the events around us.

Sasquatch Music Festival Dance Party

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This video may not have changed the world, but it certainly showed an amazing side of the people who live in it. During the Sasquatch Music Festival 2009 in Washington, a pale, shirtless man danced by himself in front of hundreds of people. At first, he looked as if he went mad (who in their right mind would do that by themselves?), but then one by one, others join in—until there is a full-on party. This man showed that having the bravery to break a little ice could go a long way; and that little crack in the ice can spread and become contagious. Humans are an interesting species, indeed. This quote, largely attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche, comes to mind: “Those who dance are considered insane by those who can’t hear the music.”

Airplane Footage of Space Shuttle Discovery's Final Launch

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On February 24, 2011, Space Shuttle Discovery launched into space on what would be its final mission before NASA’s space shuttle program came to an end. NASA’s program had been the most successful space travel program in history, and Discovery had traveled 143 million miles and carried 246 crewmembers since its first flight in 1984. Luckily, a passenger aboard a nearby airplane shot cell phone footage of this amazing view of Discovery’s launch, giving the world one of their final looks at one of mankind’s greatest inventions in-flight, a majestic sight that future generations will never see live again.

Police Arrest Retired Police Captain at Occupy Wall Street

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During the Occupy Movement, clashes between protestors and cops were a daily occurrence, and a sensitive issue of debate. But what happens when a police officer is a protestor? And a captain, of all things? The answer: the exact same thing as if it were you in that position. This is what happened to retired Philly Police Captain Ray Lewis, as he was arrested for disorderly conduct during Occupy Wall Street because he joined protestors who blocked a street. Lewis was in full dress uniform, and footage of him being arrested was a symbolic moment for Occupy, and awkward for officers.

Pussy Riot Performs a Punk Prayer

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On February 21, 2012, members of the Russian art collective Pussy Riot entered Moscow’s Cathedral of the Christ the Savior, and performed a “prayer” to toss Vladimir Putin from power. There was no service going on at the time, but after a minute they were escorted out by security. They combined footage from the cathedral with footage from another church and released “Punk Prayer: Mother of God Drive Putin Away.” Members of the group were subsequently arrested and charged with “premeditated hooliganism performed by an organized group of people motivated by religious hatred or hostility,” with the indictment running to 2,800 pages. Their arrests have gathered support for Pussy Riot around the globe, and inspired a documentary, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer.

Crowds Spontaneously Converge at Ground Zero

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On May 1, 2011, just shy of 10 years to the day after the Sept. 11th attacks of 2001, news broke that President Obama would be making an announcement regarding Osama Bin Laden. Before the President made it down the red carpet to the White House podium—where he would make his historic announcement—crowds had already began to form at landmarks around the country, like Times Square and the White House; people overseas even began to celebrate. But, most symbolically of all, people flocked to Ground Zero. The footage from here struck the highest chord: the site of horrendous attacks and the current site of the unfinished 1 World Trade Center, this was the place to be on this night of all nights.

Barack Obama Wins the 2008 Election

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The United States Presidential Election of 2008 was one of the most important in history. George W. Bush was completing his second and final term in office, a tenure that was marked by the attacks on Sept. 11th, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the fall of Saddam Hussein, and the economic meltdown. America was ready for a new start, but who would it be? John McCain, the former Naval aviator who was tortured as a POW in Vietnam? Or Barack Obama, the African-American junior senator from Illinois, who was extremely eloquent, but lacked a military background, in contrast to many former presidents before him, and even McCain himself? The political landscape in America was hot—people were more divided than ever because of the issues on the table. Yes, racism had reared its ugly head many times, but, the beast was only so big.

Young people came out in huge numbers to vote on that November day, participating in an event that so many politicians and soldiers had fought for our right to do. With that, America elected Barack Obama as the first African-American president of the United States. It was a historic moment, regardless of who you voted for, or even if you were too young to vote: something had happened that had never happened before—and people filmed reactions on their phones around the world. Each video is unique, each threaded together by the same unique event. Though there is no specific video to play above the rest, each one is important, if not for us, but for future generations to look back on, to witness what this event meant to the people of our time.

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