• Smile, you’re on camera
• This phone call may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance & training purposes
• NOTICE audio and Video recording in progress
• This property is being protected by video surveillance
I’m sure you’ve seen/heard all of these phrases before, but what do all of these phrases have in common? If you haven’t guessed it by now, it’s that we’re being recorded more often than we realize. I’m here today to ponder the question of “do we act different on camera, or are we numb to the lens that captures us in our daily lives”
I’m sure your knee jerk reaction is to say “of COURSE Kaylie, of course being in front of a camera is going to change the way we act, but when over 68% of businesses use security cameras and/or audio recordings, it’s hard to imagine that we don’t forget they’re there. For example, my mother works for Holiday Inn Club Vacations going over peoples contracts for timeshares and all around her office building there are cameras, there’s even a camera in her personal office that looks over her desk to show that she is signing and processing documents correctly. Because she is on camera all the time at work, she says that it doesn’t affect her and she often forgets about them even being there.
In Jurgeson’s book, we are shown the I/me, the way others perceive us, and the way we act in front of a camera when we know it is there, like taking pictures with grandma, doing something extra silly when our friends are recording, and videoing ourselves over and over again to get the perfect whatever in a tryout video. In these permanent pieces of history or possible life changing recordings, we alter who we are to fit into whatever puzzle is wanted from us. Pictures with granny? I know you’re not an angel who smiles with her all the time, you probably rolled your eyes at her saying some you think is stupid 10 minutes ago. Friends taking a crazy video? Im sure you’re not full sprinting down the road holding whatever too-big household object you could pick up on the daily. Videoing yourself for a tryout? Im sure you’re not loud, sharp and flexible all the time (yes, this is a dig at my own cheer tryout for TLU)
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