Analysis of “Distracted Boyfriend” meme - Bruna Oliveira

 This is Neyl Benkirane 5 step critical analysis that I defend on Mark Zastrow article on National Geographic called "how South Korea prevented a coronavirus disaster and why the battle isn't over". 

Description: this article shows how the pandemic affected South Korea. it shows how the country has dealt with the coronavirus throughout new technologies and new governmental doings. South Korea used innovative testing facilities and process but also they used contact tracing that was very useful to control the spread of the virus. This article shows also how South Korea learned from the past by coming up with some solutions from past experiences such as previous virus outbreak. this article ends by showing how their innovative ways of controlling the spread of the virus is being adapted in other parts of the world. this article is from May, since then most of the countries put in place the same innovative ways to stop the virus outbreak. 

Analysis: this article really focuses on three main aspects. the first aspect is how South Korea managed to control this virus outbreak by installing walk in testing boots all over the country, but also by using a big data approach to contact tracing, using credit cards history and location data from cellphones carriers to retrace the movements of infected people. The second main part of this article shows how South Korea has come up with some of these solutions by learning from past experiences of previous virus outbreaks. In 2015 they had to deal with MERS coronavirus outbreak that infected 186 cases for 38 deaths. The last main point of this article is how these solutions, specifically the testing facilities and the tracking datas are being adapted in other parts of the world. As said in the description, the article is from last May and we are in September, nowadays most of the countries have these testing facilities and this this data tracking system. 

Interpretation: As there are three main aspects in this article, there needs to be three interpretation, one for each main aspect. As South Korea managed to control this virus outbreak by installing walk in testing boots all over the country and by using big data approach to contact tracing, it gave the main tools to the government to be able to control as much as they can the pandemic. Nevertheless, there is still the question about using data approach knowing that you are sacrificing your digital privacy. But after conducting research, 78% of a poll of 1000 people agreed that human rights protection should be eased to strengthen virus containment effort. Secondly, the fact that South Korea learned from their past virus outbreak shows that human beings don't forget some vital aspects of our generation. A pandemic would spread way more nowadays than in the past because of the globalisation. After the 2015 virus outbreak they significantly invested on the medical aspects of outbreaks. they were faster than most countries on finding the best solutions for their population which is shown in the statistics. Finally, this article shows an example of a success story in this pandemic. Many countries took South Korea as an example as there are testing boots and the contact tracing that are being installed or already implemented in most countries. 

Evaluation: This article is illustrated by a well established source that shows South Korea as a perfect example of success story in this pandemic. But unfortunately, controlling the pandemic isn't the only development that us, human beings, needed and still need. we also need to be morally stable. for example, in Europe, the confinement raised the statistics of people getting into depressions. the physical health is very important but the mental health is as important. which is why I was impressed by South Korea, is that  they never closed the economy, they never did a proper confinement. Also, culturally speaking, they always had social distancing while being sick and they were wearing masks also while being sick. So overall, things didn't really change for them. 

Engagement: There are hundreds of new articles everyday for us humans to read and to interpret. But we can also be victims of medias by following and accepting the ideas or the point of view that this medias is giving us and making it ours. it all depends on how it is presented to us. I personally think that this article is idolising South Korea, as it shows how perfect they were during this pandemic, But there are some bad aspects in every story. Here the bad aspects is not shown but I think for an article to be democratised, there need to be two sides of the story not only the good or the bad one but both.