Social NOTworking

How social interaction has changed over the last few years, sites like Facebook have made a camera an essential for a night out. Not only do you need your bronzer, lip gloss, eyeliner... but you need to make sure that first ingredient is the camera. Take a lot of photo's you're a popular person, had the best night ever let everyone know about it by uploading and telling your friends.

I recall a few years ago when I would meet up with friends for a night out and take photos, it was rare I would see anyone else with the same enthusiasm. Now bars are like runways with camera flashes more frequent than strobe lighting. It's staged and although I hold up my hands and admit I enjoy photography nights out have become totally fake!

After entertaining the family over Bluewater we parted ways with the children and got ready for a night out with a couple my partner knows. They were great company and like our usual circles we share were up for a laugh like us and were by no means coy. Looking around at the surroundings and the faces that pose and laugh while the camera lens is aimed in their direction makes you feel that you are in a warm and friendly environment.

You couldn't be more wrong as because soon as the camera is out of focus out come the attitude and scowls. To use one example we were dancing and I was with my partner on the dance floor and only really concentrating on each other. People around us were taking photos but then in a flash a group of girls were yelling at me for being too close. They pushed me in the back and mob mentality took over, I reminded them that with that attitude it was no wonder that there were no gentlemen guys around them.

This is where social interaction is failing as in capturing that moment when everyone is posing you are masking the fact that you aren't very nice people. Redeemed by the fact that if it's on the Internet it has to be true, people see your photo's and 'hey, you've made it sugar!' I won't even go into the advances of some of the guys that we encounter when we are out. It is as though they expect that walking up to a girl and addressing her with a physical Poke is as acceptable as it is online. That may work in social networking but what ever happened to dialogue, decency and common courtesy!

The night went well although it nearly didn't start, just before entering the club entrance my partner slipped in the rain and ended up on the floor. She held it together and we made our way in and although drenched she didn't let it dampen her spirits. We soon got onto the spirits and made a good night of it. Other than the near brawls and scenarios best forgotten we rocked. I'll upload the photo's when I get a chance ;-)