Exposing the Social Media Network’s Dark Side…
The Web 2.0 Revolution is in full effect. Social Media sites such as Twitter, Tumblr, Blogger and the ever-popular Facebook have connected millions, expanded social circles from all corners of the world and have made it virtually impossible to be an outcast.
Mobile phones have turned into mini-notebooks because of this phenomenon and mobile carriers are chosen by the consumer based on their ability to allow social media apps to be accessed at anytime, anywhere.
But as to all technological breakthroughs, the dark side is never far behind.
At a concert on Saturday there was a couple sitting a few rows ahead of me. Due to the increasing screen size of some of these popular multi-function phones, everyone sitting behind them could clearly see how they were accessing their text messages, checking their e mails and updating their Facebooks.
Nothing wrong with that, until I saw what was the content of their updates.
A heavy set waitress at the venue’s VIP section was leaning forward taking orders over the loud music. As she leaned, her back was facing the couple in question. Immediately, the gentleman and his blonde companion began to take pictures of her behind at unflattering angles and posting it on each of theirFacebook pages.
What came to mind is the following: the waitress, completely unaware of what was going on behind her, continued her shift as the couple was posting her picture on their profiles. Several other concert go-ers noticed the same thing and they, too, joined in on the cheap joke.
Assuming that each of these people has 500 Friends on their profiles, it is easy to see how quickly a picture can reach millions.
Now consider the following: no one is immune to this type of Social Media abuse, and no one is innocent. For every picture you take of someone wearing a tacky outfit, walking around with toilet paper stuck to their shoe, stumbling on a raised sewer lid, or with a dab of mustard stain on the side of their cheek, there just might be someone taking a picture of you.
With this type of instant access to the net and its features, combined with cell phones that record and take instant, high quality images, everyone is a journalist, everyone is a photographer, everyone is a comedian.
The sites themselves are neither good nor evil; it’s how you use them that make it so, but with such an age-old wisdom being further washed aside by technology’s increasing tide, soon core values and appropriate levels of discretion are watered down to the point of being non-existent.
It’s only when applied to one self that the concept really does raise concern. Having your picture taken without your consent is a form of disrespect. Whether it is because the photographer thought you were beautiful or your body size made him chuckle, the fact that you have no knowledge or control of where that image of yourself is going and how it will be used does cause some uneasiness.
The responsibility lies in the user. Frankly, just because the object you are capturing will probably never know you took his or her picture does not justify the act. These forms of freedoms that Facebook and other Social Media sites provide us with come with responsibilities that cannot be ignored.
As for the clown couple who inspired this editorial? They were in the wrong seats and where ushered out shortly after.
To the waitress who was the innocent by-stander – I hope she made a killing in tips
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