Perhaps many are familiar with what usually happens during supposed-fun runs held each weekend at various sites in the city. With the race still on, a steadily-growing number of early finishers will linger at the finish line, bring out their phones and take selfies for posterity.
Unbeknownst to them, incoming race participants likewise slowly amass at the approach, finding it difficult to identify the already-clogged end line, much less cross it. Officials, after much urging, usher the selfie takers to the side, so that for a few minutes, the coast is clear once again for runners to pass. Then, a new batch of finishers again gather once more at the finish, for their posterity photos.
During school programs and presentations, it’s quite common for members of the audience to head up the front of the stage (or up the stage itself) to take photos with the performers immediately after the show. That has been the norm for a long time. And as far as I know, no one has ever complained about it. However I have witnessed in some instances, a few over-anxious relatives, along with the ever-present professional “pitik” photographers (who will charge you an arm and a leg) suddenly standing at the front space and blocking the view of the audience during the performance, all in pursuit of that one special Kodak moment.
For some people, it’s all good and they can let these inconveniences to them pass. Their stoic dictate is always up and alert, ready to prompt them; “people are people”, not much you can do. For them, the fact that our ever-improving technology has ‘armed’ majority of the population with hand-held phone/cameras, it’s only natural for them to develop the urge to document anything and everything, so much that, it becomes the norm. What do you expect people do instead?
At a mall this morning, I could only smile as a mother, oblivious to everyone looking, painstakingly shot a video of her two or three-year old daughter, as she walked awkwardly a few feet in front of her. At another scene, who else hasn’t witnessed children, sitting and fidgeting but ever so patient, while their mom stalls dinner for a few minutes, so she could shoot a food pic of the exotic dish, product of her toil and her creativity?
True enough, the latest wonders have engulfed us all so much, it’s not even a generational or social class thing anymore. Even while some old geezers incessantly complain so much of many things like loud music and equally loud teeners, I’ve heard of a few suddenly turning mushy at the thought of hearing the re-emergence of a new, much improved turntable for their antiquated vinyl collection. Sheepish and embarrassed at being found out, his critics could only poke him further, why did you have to be so loud about it in the first place?
