Camera is the New Gasoline

PHOTO CREDIT: JACOB MEJICANOS

What's the first thing that you do when you are harrased on the street? On social media, I've seen many "public freakout" videos, involving conflicts between all types of people: customers and employees, people from different races, elders and teenagers, and so on. Whenever I run into these clips, I feel a strong sense of discomfort; interestingly, this discomfort is especially amplified when the people BEHIND the cameras are gas-lighting. As a result, while many on the internet tend to focus on roasting the "villain" being recorded, I tend to observe how people act and speak both when being recorded and when doing the recording. I came to the realization that the act of camera-rolling often contributes to the escalating heat in the room.

"Get your camera off my face!" We can all immediately associate this line with celebrities and the paparazzis; by reading this line, you may also visualize a vivid picture: the paparazzi shoving the camera into the celebrity's face, chasing him/her and bombing him/her with questions. This scene, however, is no longer monopolized by the celebrities and the paparazzis. Nowadays, we are all a part of the camera crew. We use the camera on our phone to sell, to market, and to protect ourselves; not to mention how we weaponize it. Camera is supposed to capture the truth. I remember seeing on the news a few months ago, that an asian cyclist was physically assaulted in Leicester Square, London; luckily, a streamer who passed by captured the entire incident on live-stream and chased the mugger away along with a few other brave pedestrians. This heroic act conveys one positive utility of the camera; it can with no doubt serves as an important piece of evidence when interpersonal conflicts and social injustice occur.

However, in this world where we're so used to recording, publishing and commenting every possible detail of our life, we unwittingly forget what it's like when being forced under a lens and exposed to a pool of subjective examinations. The focus of recording a conflict is no longer entirely about capturing the truth; the new "formula" is now blended with the purpose of catharsis. Yes, maybe a part of us do want the conflict resolved, but we also want to direct a theatrical production for our audience.

Let's go back to the scenario of celebrities being recorded, and think about this question "Why are they so emotionally triggered when being filmed?" It's because they're fully aware that the second the camera starts rolling, every act and every word can be freely interpreted and judged by anyone on the internet. The smallest mistakes and the deepest pain can be turned into memes, labeled with names, and spiced up by the influential "chefs"on social media. Now let's think about the "public freakout" clips that we often run into. Regardless of what the individuals being recorded have committed, aren't we indirectly exposing them with those potential attacks as well? Not to mention when those behind the camera often (intentionally or unintentionally) exacerbate the conflict ("look at this Karen, y'all", "Hey, you're on camera, everyone's gonna see this"). Some might argue that "Well, if they (the ones being recorded) chose to be rude and behave deviantly in the first place, they deserve to be taught a lesson". I'm not neglecting the value of facing consequences. However, it is important to think about this when we stand-up to injustice: do we really want justice served, or do we simply enjoy holding the power to trigger, to punish, and to hurt another behind the camera? Do mocking, smirking, teasing, and insulting do any good, or have we become the paparazzis: refusing to let go until we encourage a satisfying climax for the conflict? Are we really thinking about how to let the "villain" realize their wrongdoings, or are we too occupied with the thought of how our "army" on social media are going to stand with us once we post the clip?

Camera has become the new gasoline; what's more terrifying is how it has become a reflex for us to pour it whenever things don't go our way. What we've seen daily on the internet has tricked us into believing that bringing-out the monster within another is merely exercising our freedom in a democratic society. In the name of justice, we enjoy playing the role as an animal trainer at the circus: punishing and influencing the beast within others while the audience cheers for us. This sugar-coated dehumanization of both parties is what saddens me. The next time we encounter a conflict, we should try to be aware of the intensity of the situation and focus on how to bringdown the heat. As a camera man, use your power wisely. Focus on NOT capturing the show, but rather, the truth.