What Happens in Vegas, Stays on Facebook

Posted by Doug Wolfgram on Oct 22, 2010 in Social Media | 1 comment

When the Las Vegas visitors bureau came up with the catchy phrase, ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’, I doubt if they were suggesting that visitors travel to their fair city solely for the purpose of committing adultery. But it does appeal to an inner self in all of us that craves “letting our hair down” and hopefully, keeping those moments private. As comedian/actor Dane Cook says, “It happened. It only happened there. And it happened far enough away to have any negative effect on the ‘the here and now’. And anyone who wasn’t there at the time need not know about it.”

But protecting your privacy regarding what happens in Las Vegas goes only as far as your friend’s video-equipped cellphone can broadcast it. The belief that any public action you take in any city could in any way be private is as absurd as ‘non smoking’ sections within a restaurant. You may not want the smoke to drift your way but someone forgot to tell the smoke that it had to stay on the other side of the room.  You may WANT your activities to remain private,  but what is embarrassing to you is most assuredly hilarious to a bystander equipped with a high-definition cell phone camera and an always-on internet connection providing a direct pipeline to Facebook and all of his waiting friends.

So what does this mean to a connected society?

As an optimist, I like to believe that modern technology helps promote better social behavior. From the beginning of time, mankind has found ways to inspire his immediate community to behave properly. Early writings chronicle edicts passed down from the elders rewarding good behavior and punishing bad behavior. Religious leaders often use the ‘almighty wrath of God’ as a threat if one does not follow the social laws of the time. Christianity even goes so far as to teach that a lifetime of good behavior and a heartfelt confession of bad behavior along the way will lead to a better life after this one ends. All groups of humans have had to deal with this issue from the beginning of time. And it seems that whenever a member of a society is called out for bad behavior, the issue of privacy emerges. We hear things such as “it is none of your business because I was on vacation” or “it was behind closed doors” as excuses for stepping over the line and getting caught.

The question is, if you know you are being watched will you behave better? Vegas thinks you will. They make no secret about the ‘eye in the sky’ video systems used in surveillance of all casinos and while I don’t have stats available, I am certain that casino cheating has dropped since their inception. Perhaps your friend’s cellphone is just a mobile version of the “eye in the sky?”

A general social awareness eventually leads to caution before action. If one is to be accepted by his or her fellow citizens, then proper behavior is expected. This brings up many societal issues. Who decides what is acceptable? What are the punishments for unacceptable behavior? Aren’t I entitled to some privacy? Answering these questions gets a bit tricky but short answers are: 1) Your peer group and your community decide what is acceptable behavior, 2) if you exhibit bad behavior, you can expect a loss of connection in your group including loss of friendship or loss of a job and 3) No. You are in a public place. Assume your actions are public and act accordingly.

And that is really the crux of it all. If you are in a public place, act as though your mate, your boss and perhaps even your mother are watching. The first step in protecting your privacy is governing your own behavior. It may be tempting to ‘let it all hang out’ while in Vegas, but it you certainly cannot expect your actions to remain private. Facebook’s instant upload capability is just too tempting.