Gen Z's Clubbing Dilemma: Dancing Freely or Dodging Viral Cameras?

The experience of clubbing for Gen Z is changing because of the fear of unintentionally going viral. Freya Price, a 21-year-old student, says she and her friends are always on the lookout for cameras when they go out. They try to avoid club promoters and strangers who might be filming, because they worry that embarrassing moments could end up online. Freya feels that she cannot truly relax and enjoy herself in nightclubs, unlike Millennials who grew up before social media was everywhere.

In the past, embarrassing moments might have been talked about among friends or uploaded to a blurry Facebook album. Now, videos can be filmed and shared with thousands of people in just a few hours. Neuroscientist Dean Burnett explains that more people are anxious about doing something embarrassing that could be seen online. Freya wishes she could feel comfortable dancing and being silly, but the thought of seeing videos of herself online is a big worry. She says that club promoters often try to capture content, and sometimes she and her friends are just minding their own business when a camera suddenly appears in their faces.

Freya is also concerned about new technology, like glasses that can film people without them knowing. She finds it scary how easy it is to film and post videos of people on social media without their permission. Freya likes the idea of clubs banning cameras, as some clubs in Berlin have done. Tracy Clayton, a Meta spokesman, says people should behave responsibly with technology, but it is up to individuals not to misuse it. Freya does not want to become content for other people, and she feels that the fear of being filmed has cheated her out of the carefree nightlife that previous generations enjoyed.

When people are drunk, their inhibitions are lowered and they are not thinking about cameras, but now Gen Z has to be aware. Freya says that for her generation, a bad night out could impact their future jobs if videos of them being very drunk are found online. Dean Burnett says that embarrassment is a natural human response, but social media has changed how big the audience is. He believes that young people who grew up with social media have changed their behavior because their actions can be preserved online.

Burnett thinks social media can be positive because it helps people find communities, but it is not always good for everyone to have an audience. He says that people are more anxious about being embarrassed online, while others do extreme things for likes and clicks. Many older people say they are glad they did not have social media when they were younger, but Burnett believes they would have behaved differently if their actions could be preserved online. Embarrassment is an evolutionary feature unique to humans, and wanting people to like you was once a matter of survival.

Freya and her friends have started going to pubs instead of clubs. They feel that pubs are more social because people can actually hear each other and are not always on their phones. Hafwen Davies, a 19-year-old student, says she notices people taking videos and photos more often in the students' union. She feels more comfortable dancing in some clubs, but the presence of cameras is always in the back of her mind. Edward Gent, a 23-year-old student, says he did not worry about cameras when he started university, but now he is always aware that someone could be filming. He thinks people miss the old days when photos were blurry and not curated, and there is a hunger for that kind of anonymity.

DJ Kaptin Barrett has been working in clubs since 1999. He says people still dance at his nights, but they are more self-conscious now. He notices that people look at their phones every five minutes and do not let loose as much as before. He says the club has lost its mystique and is now a place where people go to be seen or to film the DJ. Some young people still enjoy raves and free parties, but in big clubs, it is hard to lose yourself in the music.

For Freya, clubs have lost their appeal, so she and her friends choose pubs instead. She says it is easier to talk and people are not worried about cameras. At the pub, people can relax and enjoy themselves without thinking about being filmed. Many young people feel the same way and are changing how they spend their nights out.