Pressing Play: Are we as a society filming too much?
It seems that, nowadays, with the help of technology, video content is limitless. As digital natives, we have the advanced technology that can create award-winning short films at our fingertips. Whether or not we use our phones to direct a short film or record a dramatic argument in front of a crowded store, is up to the individual. However, when it comes to the question of if young adults film too much of their lives, I’m going to have to say yes, and social media has a lot to do with it.
I am not alone in agreeance with this statement. Not all people recording on their cell phones are “exposing” someone — some of them are Youtubers.
There are a few Youtubers on campus and, one in particular, sophomore graphic design and business double major Mariah Taliaferro, explained her point of view on the topic.
“We have so much access to social media like Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. It’s basically like vlogging your life all day,” said Taliaferro.
Social media seems to be the recurring theme with this epidemic. According to the New York Times article, “A Defining Question in an iPhone Age: Live for the Moment or Record It?,”18 year-old Scott Welsch took and posted a smiling selfie while the engine of the plane he was on had blown. Although this example might seem a bit extreme, people do these kinds of things in the face of real danger.
Another way of sharing less extreme recorded videos is with platforms like Snapchat, which encourage people to constantly post their lives and keep up with their daily streaks.
A streak is when you contact a friend via Snapchat each day and continue day-to-day communication. I think we all know a person who is always on their phone during a concert or intimate dinner and recording for Snapchat.
This type of behavior is unhealthy because it crosses the line between sharing your life and oversharing to the point of lack of privacy. With that risk comes identity theft and profile hacking which could really hurt a person’s boundaries.
Another way that people are recording and posting copious amounts of information is on channels like TheShadeRoom on Instagram and on WorldStarHipHop.com. This profile and website are dedicated to showing raw videos and images sent from people about celebrities or everyday altercations.
This type of video sharing is very negative and could potentially harm someone. There has to be a boundary between filming a funny moment and filming to humiliate someone.
“TheShadeRoom puts out so many people’s information,” said Taliaferro. “People may see you in a negative way or [see you]represented in a way that you didn’t want for yourself.”
There are ways to solve this issue. The most obvious is to control and filter what you film or record.
According to the Huffington Post, it is best to reflect on what to share with friends or the world, since nothing is truly private once it is recorded and posted online. It is also important to reflect on if a recording could potentially harm someone else. In other words, think before you hit record.
Tatyanna Carman
Sophomore journalism major
