I have a creepy feeling about Chatroulette.com. Of course, it takes me awhile to warm up to any new technology so I am going to try to be objective about this new phenomenon. I get a kick out of being a voyeur as much as the next guy but Chatroulette is too “in your face” for me. For background, watch http://vimeo.com/9669721 informal, funny research on this new use of the web cam.
My gut reaction is that there is something weird about wanting to chat with a stranger who probably has no expertise in anything I’m interested in and whom I will never talk to again and will never meet. I like to meet people that share one of my interests or with whom I can have a relationship. And, of course, there is the pervert factor. Every article I’ve read and news report I’ve seen warns of the sexual implications of this form of entertainment. On Chatroulette one can see masturbation, private body parts, psychos with nooses around their necks, men in bras…need I go on?
Is the right to patronize this site in the same league as the right to read books on sensitive subjects? My opinion is no, it is not. While I am all for freedom of the press and freedom to express your opinions and to talk about the taboo, I think there are some things that do not need to be witnessed. I might join in a conversation about sexual perversion, what is perverse, what the attraction is and why some people like it and others don’t. But it is a whole new ballgame to witness sexually explicit acts. For example, to change the context, it is one thing to read about a grisly murder but it is quite another to witness one.
This is definitely a concern when thought of in the same context as youth. Teens would be the most likely age group to be attracted to this technology. First, some of them have more leisure time than adults and more of their time, leisure or not, is tied to the computer. Secondly, even if a teen is leery of whom they will run into, persuasion of peers will be a big factor. And, most importantly, trying new technology is as familiar as breathing to teens and that, combined with natural curiosity and a sense of daring, might be a dangerous combination.
It’s not that I don’t trust the kids (God, how many times have you heard THAT one!) Seriously though, my concerns are with whom they will start chatting in Chatroulette and what that person will do on camera or ask the kids to do. Older teens have probably seen much more sexually than adults want to recognize but the younger teens and tweens that might get on Chatroulette.com could see things that they are just not ready for. Another concern for me is that the more we see and accept sexual behavior, as well as other outer-limit behavior, the more mainstream it may become, although I think we may have crossed that threshold already.
I would like to say that perhaps there is some educational value in meeting new people from different areas of the world but from what I have read and seen, that is not even possible. Participants move from one to the next partner so quickly, this process is called nexting, that if you are not a beautiful, young girl or naked, you will be nexted faster than you can say hello. This new use of internet technology is purely for entertainment. The point is simply to sit there and see what completely strange thing can be seen. The point is not to chat so much as to be shocked.
To quote Cliff Kuang at Fastcompany.com, “Self-published entertainment has officially moved into territory I can barely comprehend. Parents: One more reason to lock up your daughters.”
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ReplyDeleteOk, so my comment fell off the planet. It went something like this:
ReplyDeleteThe idea behind chatroulette, and the name of the site itself, is that there's a risk involved. In this case, it's the risk of running into something out of the ordinary or perverted.
I know a fair few people who've used the site, mostly just to see what it was about, a few of them encountered off-color things while using it. A few, though, came across poets or musicians who would compose for their v-chat partner on the spot. Most ended up chatting with other people who were there for the same reasons they were: to see what it was about. Lots of people with masks on, though.
It does, however, really bug me to see the response to such things involving quotes that advocate, even jokingly, "locking up your daughters."
I had written a more in-depth response to this post, but my computer crashed before I could get it posted, so instead of rewriting it all, I'm just going to post a link to the Daily Show's piece on Chatroulette. Warning! It has some mature material...
ReplyDeleteMaggie, I was just about to post the Daily Show piece as well. It is hilarious (although "mature"). I particularly like its commentary on how the media talks about technology. What makes something the new tech fad? Is it naturally occurring or does it happen because all these "news" programs keep telling us that ______ is the latest thing? Call me a conspiracy theorist, but when so much buzz is generated about the latest tech fad, I can't help but wonder who started it and who benefits.
ReplyDeleteI obviously have missed all the buzz on this one. I checked out the Daily Show video and I have to say, I was thoroughly intrigued. It seems like an idea with so much promise, however, it of course is being misused and perverted. Just as Craigslist can be a great site to sell your used bike and look for a new apartment, it also can be used to solicit sex. As I am a curious woman, I decided to test out Chatroulette, not sure of what I would find. Perhaps the media had given it a bad rap and was over-exaggerating. Apparently, not so. As soon as I clicked on "new game" I was greeted by an image of a woman's ample chest. So I clicked "next". The next few people obviously did not think that I was worth their time and "nexted" me quickly. I have to say that was not wonderful for my self-esteem, but perhaps they simply weren't interested in talking. I did run across a guy playing a guitar, but was "nexted" again. That's when I was subjected to a video of a man masturbating. I decided to click off Chatroulette after that. Now perhaps I didn't give it enough time. All of those clicks probably lasted about thirty seconds total. But if it only takes thirty seconds for me to get flashed twice? Not a website worth the research.
ReplyDeleteIt used to be that we only had to worry about weirdos in the chatrooms, now we get live feeds into their bedrooms. It seems so sad too, because the idea is just fantastic. I love the idea of being flung around the world and randomly assigned people to talk to. It could be so very interesting and fun. Instead, it has obviously become a hangout for those looking for a cheap thrill. All I can hope is that someone will take this idea and revamp it for those who are looking for a way to reach out and communicate rather than reaching down their pants (sorry for the crudeness, but I'm feeling a bit scarred from my current adventure).
My library has not had to worry about ChatRoulette yet, as our computers are about eight years too old to have webcams (seriously, they still have floppy drives), and we're not likely to get new ones anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteBut I also saw the Daily Show clip - and that episode of South Park - and was sort of curious about it, much like Sarah. Plus, one of my friends successfully met a real person who was also using ChatRoulette to have a random conversation with an interesting person (seriously, this happened). So the other night, I entered the URL, and had my cursor hovering over the "new game" button, when...
"That's probably a bad idea," my boyfriend said, eyebrow raised. "There's some sketchy stuff on there."
My boyfriend, like me, is the last person to go into a panic about "cybersafety" or whatever ridiculous thing. But even he thinks that ChatRoulette is too far outside the boundaries of acceptability, which I find interesting. Webcams, and their attendant sketchiness, have been around for years now. If I really wanted to watch someone masturbate, it would take me about two seconds to find a video clip.
So what is so threatening about ChatRoulette? Is it that, for the first time, these people on the fringes of the internet are watching us back? I wonder how much of it has to do with our own discomfort, our own unwillingness to admit that we’re curious (whether we’re curious in a titillating way or in a car crash way). With ChatRoulette, these people we used to watch on live feeds know that we’re there. They know what we look like. They know, with absolute confidence, that there are a lot of other curious weirdos out there, and that some of us are librarians and moms and – yikes – high school students.
Separately: while I appreciate concerns about children seeing someone jack off on ChatRoulette (I'd never let my kids use it...if I had kids), I worry a lot more about the larger implications of cybersafety scares. All these well-intentioned caregivers worry that some guy is going to see their kid's photo on Flickr and then hunt their kid down and abduct them. This is not, however, a thing that actually happens.
Things that do actually happen:
- Children agree to go meet up with someone on the internet, and it ends badly
Things that do actually happen, and much, much more frequently:
- Children are abused by relatives, friends, and authority figures
I know some people who worry a great deal about cyberstalkers and all of this, and I worry that it blinds us to the things we ought to be concerned about. It’s such an “out there” fear, one that doesn’t require us to change the way we live or to think bad things about the people we love. I think people use a lot of this cybersafety stuff* as a way to shield themselves from the much harsher reality of violent crimes against children. We have to be careful about that.
* Obviously there are some things to be said for cybersafety – kids shouldn’t be giving out their addresses and stuff, and they need to be reminded of those rules. I’m talking about the total panic you see every time a new technology pops up.
Oh! Really interesting idea that Chatroulette is particularly disturbing because others can watch us back. I will have to think more about that...
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's interesting that not only can we "next" someone, but that they can choose to do the same to us, unsettling perhaps as a loss of control, but also in some sense a rejection.
On a personal note, I have no desire to try out Chatroulette (I think I have enough chances of inappropriate encounters on public transportation), but I too wish that it could live up to its potential of meaningful interaction between people in different places.
I like the name and idea of the this site, but the reality of what occurs just seems very disturbing. Watching the videos on youtube, it shows that even if it seems like something you are temporarily doing that no one except the person you are chatting to can see, they could be using a screen capturing device and your little act could end up on youtube. Maybe that is a benefit to the people that frequent this site, but to me it would be a huge deterrent.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if part of the draw is that it brings annonymity back into the lives of people who are used to sharing everything about themselves on the Internet. Privacy / being annonymous becomes the new thrill?
The idea of wanting to be able to reinvent yourself online (masks, etc) isn't new, but it is become a bit harder to do. The AOL chat rooms of the past, with temporary screen names, are not found in too many venues anymore. It's too bad people are abusing it. I could see it being extremely popular at sleepovers, but if I were the parent, I wouldn't want my kids to do it unless the site makes some major safety regulations.
I also feel like this site (as is) would be a great resource to find quirky personalities to help with character develop for writers (for the over 18 crowd). What a cool college creative writing assignment!