Why the rescue story of the Thai caves has captivated the world

In the dark, through tortuous stone tunnels and through murky water, they were waiting for an uncertain future.

Outside, under the skies of a modern planet, cameras and passers-by and a bewildered global audience of millions were looking out at the remote hills of northern Thailand, connected by cables and satellites and signals wireless and gadgets. For two weeks and more, it continued.

The 12 young Thai football players and their coaches are just starting to share their stories, giving us the first clues of what those heartbreaking days were. For the rest of us, watching from afar as a heavyweight planet worried media sent us shots and the unknowable was revealed drip by tempting drip we knew a thing: It was difficult to look away.

Especially when these two words were splashed across the world's websites and mobile applications in the striking fonts: "LIVE WATCH".

Were they still alive after so many days? Probably not. And yet they were. Could we have an overview? They were there, captured on video, shyly bowing to what had become their audience.

Could they be removed, through the water that went up and down and threatened to rise again? This question, endless for so many days, was answered Tuesday with a resounding yes.

"We really needed something to encourage us: we needed a good headline that would allow us to succeed," says Daryl Van Tongeren, associate professor of psychology at Hope College in Michigan. build a meaning in their life.

"People started to believe, like a snowball rolling down a hill," Maybe they'll get out of it, "he said.

First, Obviously, these are children who have done nothing wrong, and we love the innocent stories.Also, it was easy to conclude for several days that they had met their end prematurely and unjustly

When they did not do it – when children who did not look like those of our own life had a chance to get out – many eyes

At that time, the saga was also fueled by hope and by the possibility of a good result – the two elements of all memorable human history

There are other reasons why this particular story was so captivating.They shed some light on ourselves and the strange forces – parfo are wonderful and sometimes destructive – that shape our lives in a modern media society.