From Fascination of the new to Fast-food for the brain

Mh, I wonder... Why are we so attracted by catastrophes?

Today a car burnt down while I was at work and I could see from the window and on one side it was sad for the owner of that car (nobody was hurt), but on the other hand it looked quite cool. Is that, because we see it so seldom that one isn't used to it? Would we watch with the same fascination if a car would burn every day? Is it bad to gawk? Or would it be bad to look away and not be interested in the catastrophe?

 luu, "Feuer"; Some rights reserved. Quelle: www.piqs.de 

I suppose we are attracted to watch, because in the time the human race was still living in caves or the savanna, one couldn't look away. It could have meant death to not check how the fire would spread or if the sabretooth not only would eat your fellow, but also oneself. So it's a good thing if you check out what is happening and if you have to save yourself or another person.

On the other hand, if you just watch and forget saving and helping meanwhile it's bad (although in that case there was nothing to help, just wait for the fireman). There were so many people making photos and that stuff. Ok, it doesn't happen anyday, but we see a lot of cars on fire on TV already. And I find it quite surreal to see a bunch a people surrounding a burning car and making photos. It has something voyeuristic. What does it help to send that photo? That's the other extreme I think, that we like just to watch extraordinary things happen (but please in a land far far away if they're bad). And it's difficult to evolve beyond that.

 Eckhard Krause, "guten Appetit"; Some rights reserved. Quelle: www.piqs.de  

I've stopped reading and watching news about such topics (accidents, stars, rumours, ...) a while ago and I've missed nothing so far.

It gives you neither wisdom nor knowledge, it's just fast-food for your brain and you are what you eat.