The interesting thing is, in a real emergency something often clicks, and people become more focused and organized than otherwise. The 2009 Hudson ditching is a celebrated example, but there were numerous others over the years. (More recently, the upside-down crash landing at Toronto.) IMO the key is to have well-trained and authoritative cabin crew, but any knowledge of emergency procedures also helps, and that's where safety videos come into play.

The author of the article is a bit of a jittery flier (a go-around was their come-to-Jesus moment? come on), but fine, whatever makes people pay attention to basic safety information. It doesn't need to be much: know where the emergency exits are, how to open them if necessary, and don't take your cabin luggage, and you'll already be ahead of most.