Canadian as well (Torontonian) & 11yo at the time of the attacks. I was too young to understand the magnitude and significance of 9/11 at the time, but having studied American History as my major and writing a thesis paper on the media coverage of the Oklahoma City Bombing, I can see why 9/11 continues to be such an impactful event in human history. When the first plane hit, no one knew what was going on. The media got out there and starting filming and live broadcasting the events as they unfolded. Then the second plane hit, and while the confusion continued, the media and the public started to see what was going on together. There was no time to decide how it would be reported. Everyone was finding out together. And then the broadcasts took over every channel, every news network, radio broadcasts, etc. Never has such a large terrorist attack been caught on camera and shared around the world like 9/11 was. The media footage looped for weeks and months, and here we are 15 years later still so impacted by the visuals. The footage, the reports, newspaper articles, etc., not only demonstrate the devastation, but 9/11 marks the end of one time period and the beginning of a new, more fearful era. This widespread media coverage was both unifying and polarizing, bringing strangers of the world together, yet at the same time, creating hatred and mistrust of other groups of people. 9/11 is truly a very unique catastrophe. I feel impacted and heartbroken by the events of 9/11, and as each year passes, there is a new type of sadness I feel. My heart goes out to all those directly and indirectly impacted by this awful, awful day in human history.