There are many, even too many, videos available of people committing anti-social, aggressive, irresponsible or dangerous acts and posting them on social media.
From the incredibly dangerous throwing of chairs from a high rise onto the street far below, to sneaking up behind unsuspecting innocent strangers to try to knock them out with a punch, to the latest incident of throwing a cup of coffee on an unsuspecting innocent person.
Whether anti-social, criminal, or dangerous, a Canadian professor suggests those filming bear at least some responsibility for such acts as well.
Gord Pennycook (Ph.D) is an assistant professor of behavioural science at the University of Regina
This latest incident, although perhaps more a reprehensible “prank” than physically violent, occurred in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Falgun Vaviya, 19, is a biology student at the University of Regina and works part time at a store. He was sitting on a bench with his phone during a work break when an unknown group approached with one person carrying a cup of coffee. The stranger said “excuse me” and when Vaviya looked up, the man splashed the coffee on him before the group ran away laughing.
When another posted the video on social media, he was criticised. Probably expecting it to be considered funny or cool, the responses were instead mostly negative. The poster’s response was to ask why people were blaming him when he didn’t throw the coffee.
Pennycook says that’s a bit disingenuous. He says the person filming certainly bears some responsibility. He says such incidents are planned ahead with the perpetrator and the filmer, so there is complicity. He says without the person filming, there likely would be no “event”.
“I was in complete shock,” said Vaviya, 19. “I was lucky the coffee wasn’t too hot, it was like mild, so it didn’t hurt me.” Police are also investigating a second similar apparently random incident but which was not posted online. (Matt Howard-CBC)
He says the internet and social media seem to create a disconnect in people from reality. People who wouldn’t normally engage in bad behaviour seem inspired by the seeming or apparent anonymity of the internet to do things or act in a manner that they ordinarily wouldn’t.
He says the desire to create “alternative” personalities, such as being more interesting, or good looking, or exciting than one really is, can also be a factor in pushing people to act inappropriately. He says having an internet following with the perceived pressure to continually be “more interesting/exciting” etc. may also encourage people to do things they normally wouldn’t.
He says people need to realize that there is a person on the other side of the screen whose feelings can be hurt just as much “virtually” as they would be in a face to face situation, and that the internet does not absolve one of responsibility for their actions.
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