Singapore netizen asks why filming strangers has become the first reaction to public incidents

SINGAPORE: It has become alarming that a growing number of people have been posting other people’s lives online, often at the expense of privacy, context, and basic human decency. 

This has been a very interesting discussion on Reddit, where a netizen voiced out his/her concerns regarding public filming. In the post, the netizen admitted that he/she understands that at times, filming is necessary especially when safety is involved, but he/she wonders when did recording become people’s first instinct instead of just simply minding their own business.

“Does every embarrassing moment really need to be shared with the whole internet? Where do you draw the line between exposing bad behaviour and just publicly shaming someone?” the netizen asked. 

With this, many netizens also shared their thoughts, opinions, and own experiences in the comments section. One claimed that people should not expect privacy in a public situation. 

Some agreed with the sentiments, and one stated: “I've been seeing so many commuters getting their photos taken and posted in Facebook groups. TBH, most of the incidents shared are really quite minor, like someone not giving up their seat. Yes, it's an inconsiderate thing to do, but at the same time, we don't know if the person might have an invisible disability or isn't feeling well.” 

Another commenter shared that Singaporean’s first instinct when encountering public situations is to gather evidence to protect themselves. Moreover, the netizen claimed that this culture originated from China and is slowly being adopted here in the country. 

One more netizen remarked that this type of action will continue to happen unless someone sues and wins in court. 

“This is the actual reason I don't anyhow confront crazy people in public,” a netizen declared. 

“This needs to stop,” a comment concluded. 

The issue does not stem from whether we should film in public—it is about why we are filming and what we plan to do with it. Before sharing clips online, maybe we should ask ourselves first: Would this clip be helpful to the public, or just invite strangers to judge someone they will never truly know?