There certainly has been a lot going on in the news this past week — particularly with the North Carolina protests. And just in case you’re unaware, I’ll give you a very brief fill in.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, a mix of peaceful protestors and rioters came together this week after another fatal police shooting — Thursday marked the 3rd day of the protests. Keith Lamont Scott was killed on Tuesday, and it was just one fatal shooting of many that have made news recently. Protests continued to grow, along with destruction, violence, and chaos. What started off as peaceful protests soon turned into a State of Emergency, as declared by Governor Pat McCrory, which led to the use of tear gas, armed police, and shots fired.

Euan McKirdy wrote for CNN, stating that:

"Police in riot gear have been working to disperse a few remaining protesters early Thursday as some in the crowd held their hands up in front of the officers.
"Hands up, don't shoot," they chanted."

The protests continued for many days, with outcry from the public to release the tap from the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, the death which sparked outrage. Thankfully, out of hundreds of protestors, there were no injuries reported, and sadly one death, Justin Carr, who was killed during demonstrations on Wednesday night, the second night of protests.

For more information on the event, you can check out CNN's live updates.

As the days went on, so did the severity of the protests and riots. But this is not the main focus of my article — in fact, it's something surprisingly different.

I am not Facebook's biggest fan — however, there is one feature that I truly do admire about the social networking site — their ability to connect the world, and thus, the "Mark Safe" feature. When there are disasters, such as that of the Nepalese earthquake, you are able to view the safety check page, meaning you can see which of your friends are marked safe or are not marked safe. I love this feature as it is really powerful in alerting family and friends your safety status if you happen to be in the affected area.

And for someone with friends all around the world — this is very reassuring. You can tell, simply by the click of a button, if someone is safe or not, assuming their internet access and Facebook connectivity.

So, where do the riots link in?

This week, so many people were posting about the riots that the safety check feature was deployed for the protests; which was perfect for those in Charlotte or surrounding areas. It allows them to tell their family and friends if they are safe or not in the midst of what turned out to be chaos. But what wasn't okay with me — was the fact that others started to do it, too.

My Facebook friends, even those who lived not only outside North Carolina but outside the United States, began to check in "safe" from the protests. People from Des Moines, Ames, Chicago, and even Sydney, Australia. And what blew my mind was the fact that people didn't really seem to understand why this was such a big deal.

People from around the world were checking into an event that had nothing to do with them — where civilians were fighting for the rights of others, and in remembrance for Scott. And it honestly was incredible — I'm not really sure why people were doing it. Maybe they thought it was funny? Maybe they really just did it as a joke? Or maybe, more realistically, they simply didn't know any better? Nonetheless, it was interesting to sit back and watch over 15 of my Facebook friends mark themselves "safe" from the protests.

Personally, I don't see the humour in it. Maybe it hits too close to home, or maybe I'm sensitive. I'm not really sure; but to me, it wasn't exactly much of a joke. I didn't see the light in the situation, and I still don't.

But really, thanks for that. I was really worried about you, in Sydney, and how you might be in danger from the protests. I was seriously concerned about you, from Iowa. It's good to know you're safe and sound.