Happy Slapping

[happygeek]

Here in the UK there has been a growing, and nasty, trend over the last year for teenagers (mainly) to film unprovoked attacks on innocent victims using their cellphones. The resulting video footage or images are then distributed to friends in an almost cult like fashion. This has become known as the happy slapping craze here.

I see that the Washington Post is today running a story about online 'Fight Club' postings. While these, it would appear, are organized street fights between consenting adults, the worry must surely be that happy slapping will eventually crossover to the online fight club scene.

What niggles me most, it has to be said, is that of all the scenarios I thought about with regard to cellphone cameras and the digital video revolution, this kind of behaviour never even entered my radar. Have we all been too caught up with privacy issues and missed some of the real dangers, and what is next on the shocking use of technology agenda?

[goldeagle2005]

That and the fact that cell phones are so often used by men having sex with their GFs. These clips are then circulated on the internet and sent via MMS too. Here in India, there have been numerous cases about such clips doing the rounds. These also include famous celebrities and students. It's shocking the way perverted minds use an otherwise wonderful technology to cash in.

[happygeek]

And. of course, there is then the techno-backlash that impinges upon us all. Sticking with the cellphone-camera issue, for example. Here in the UK all cellphones are routinely barred from many public swimming pools for fear of paedophiles using them for nefarious purposes.