It’s official, folks: I’ve successfully completed the year’s first round of no-pants-week. That, of course, means the end of winter and the onset of the Spring Break season.
There’s no use denying it; the infamous collegiate Spring Break culture scene is a reflection of our current values of popular culture. MTV-esque displays of young adults getting themselves into all kinds of shenanigans are the norm for film, TV shows, celebrity idols and music alike. While we can consider whether this is life imitating art or art imitating life, we can also go ahead and throw in how technology is fits in the mix.
A recent New York Times article reports on the observations of business owners in Key West, Fla., of the new toned-down behavior of their customers. The primary culprit: social media. When Facebook profiles and video recordings are at the public’s (and potential future employer’s) display, people seemed to have adopted a heightened social awareness of their appearance to those with access to the web.
As we move along with learning about mobile reporting in class, it’s interesting to consider the gravity of social media expanses, for journalistic purposes and otherwise. Perhaps people’s recognition that all of their actions are being captured via photographic lens will ultimately change elements of human behavior. It seems that today, it’s so much easier to dispel written evidence of an event or story, whereas the added dimension of visuals will have us smiling for every hidden camera.
In the meantime, I’d suggest becoming familiar with the photo untagging selection. I mean, let’s be honest, everyone’s mother has a Facebook now.
In Focus 