Wherever you go in today’s world you are bound to run into someone with their camera out filming or taking pictures of the surrounding area. Because of this fact, almost every big event or any event for that matter, is caught on camera. The second that any disturbance starts, people pull out their phones and start filming as if it is second nature. This has undoubtedly helped solved outsiders judge certain cases when someone is in the wrong, but is it also helping our society act more civilized as well?
With the internet, people realize that one momentary mistake might end up crystallized in video or picture form for the rest of their lives. So generally as long as they have some control, they will attempt to stop public outbursts. Even physical fights have ended because people don’t want to be seen fighting on film and risk being held accountable. People who misbehave or act inappropriately in public now are unable to get away with it like they have in the past. In this way I think things are improving for the most part, but there is a dirty side to this entire situation.
All it takes is a simple video that captures someone committing a crime, to end up putting them away, or worse, giving them an internet persona that they will never be able to avoid. The endless videos of racist tirades of people losing their temper in a supermarket or in a mall will now be stuck with them for life. I understand people can sometimes lose their temper and say things that will completely regret in the future, which is why it is so important to be careful. One thing you say in a moment of insanity might cause you infamy for the rest of your life.
With the rise of sites like worldhiphop and youtube, getting a good interesting video that could potentially earn you money has actually incentivized some people to go out of their way and capture every situation good or bad. If someone is robbing someone, rather than calling the police, people are pulling out their phones, taking a video and commenting on how crazy the situation is. They arent doing it to be used as evidence, but rather to gain a following. Entire channels have propped up catering to the borderline exploitation of innocent victims in order to get a video they can monetize.
Even the criminals themselves have taken to filming themselves as vigilantes rather than thieves. People who steal thousands of dollars from others post their ill gotten gains on social media, bragging about how easy it is and encouraging others to do the same. Rather than these people being shamed, there are parts of the society that look up to these people. The narrative has completely changed and instead of shaming someone, certain acts glorify them. This ultimately is inevitable though because with the technology provided, you will always get the good with the bad.
In the end I would say that shaming is probably good overall for our community because it holds people accountable for the things they say and do even when they think no one is watching. While I do think there are times people snap and have a lapse of judgment, most people act like their true selves when the camera is off. In many ways the camera is more dangerous than the knife or a gun in some of these situations. People might be far more afraid of being villainized for eternity than of bodily harm. For better or worse, this is a power that most of us have now sitting in our pockets.
Thanks to @Elyaque for the badges