Would the Batman Effect Work in Washington?
Would the Batman Effect work in Washington? A state that loves its superheroes and strives to be polite to one another could always use a little help and guidance, possibly from the Dark Knight.
What Is The Batman Effect
The Batman Effect was coined after an experiment to get people riding on subways to be more polite, by having Batman ride with them.
In around 140 rush-hour treks on the subway, a man dressed as the capped crusader stood with the rest of the passengers. The result was that people acted kinder. Offering seats to pregnant ladies. The Batman Effect study was published in the Journal of Mental Health Research by Francesco Pagnini and shared by Nature.com. The whole topic is pretty thought-provoking.
Would The Batman Effect Work in Washington?
When I heard about this, my thoughts went to Seattle, and the events of the CHAZ (or CHOP), where the whole area seemed like something out of a comic book. Would the Batman Effect have helped, or would it have ended up like one of the Batman: Arkham video games (non-stop fighting, one man against everyone)?
Seattle had its own superhero in Phoenix Jones, but sadly, like the line from the 2008 Batman film, The Dark Knight:
“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Phoenix Jones fell from grace when arrested on drug charges.
How The Batman Effect Works In My Opinion
I would love it if Batman were the symbol that inspires hope and people to be better, and in the comics, he and Superman are, but in the real world, that isn’t the case.
I believe that people who see a man dressed as Batman might wonder about his mental health (which is talked about in the comics) and tread lightly. Being nicer, not wanting to cause a disturbance, simply because who knows what is going through the man’s mind.
READ MORE: Who is The 'Budget Batman' of Portland, Oregon?
The interesting thing about the study is that even the people who reported NOT seeing Batman acted more politely.
What do you think about The Batman Effect? Tap the App and let us know your thoughts. The one thing we can all agree on is that I don’t want to try out The Joker Effect.
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