victims-of-tiktokers-and-tripods-public-places-locals-privacy

A couple of years ago, the world over, the influencer community found itself being hurled with a very derogatory and hurtful term – influenza. A play on words meant to convey the emptiness of what some influencers do but above all, the nuisance that thousands of digital content creators infamously become at a public place. Last week, the victim was not an airplane aisle, a public park or a popular restaurant, but one of the most known and charming British localities in the west London neighbourhood — Notting Hill. Rendered famous by the Hugh Grant romcom by the same name and known for its aesthetic of brightly painted homes, the area is one of the landmarks of the city. Needless to say, it is also a tourist-favourite attracting travellers and influencers in hordes, making the residents often complain against digital content creators crossing the line of civic sense and becoming a nuisance for them.

Earlier this month, a lot of residents of the area started painting the exteriors of their houses black to drive away the enthusiastic photographers and influencers.

 

The residents have complained against Instagrammers and TikTokers pitching tents to change outfits. Some allegedly climb the steps outside the house, cross over the railing and take photographs while parked right at the front door. Some house owners have even fixed chains and ropes and put up posters asking tourists not to pose in front of their house.

 

Notting Hill hasn’t been the only famous area affected with prying strangers. In 2019, a neighbourhood association in Paris’ most famous locality Rue de Cremieux lobbied city authorities to put up gates to specifically keep out social media users. Known for its aesthetic appeal comprising cobblestones, colourful buildings and potted plants, the area is well documented and locals have had enough of the aspiring influencers who have little regard to their privacy.   

 

Also read: Digital addiction: Youth succumbing to validation trap

From neighbourhood to landmark public places, even entire stretches of countries have not been spared by the wrath of a few inconsiderate influencers. With more than 15 million images on Instagram, Iceland commands the perfect clout of being a popular and yet not a clichéd destination. But for the locals of the Nordic country, the issue has since long become so problematic that there are Facebook and Instagram pages where Icelanders document bad behaviour by Instagrammers. The accounts document influencers sitting on glaciers, walking on moss, which is strictly prohibited and even drinking and driving.

 

Things in India are no different either. In January of this year, two Delhi-based influencers made it to the news for the wrong reasons. The creator named Varun Yadav and his fellow influencer Aarush Bhola faced public backlash after playing loud music on a plane to make a reel. When faced with enough heat, the duo later apologised and explained through their social media accounts that, “they just borrowed the speaker to play music for only 15 seconds.” 

Apart from airports, which have become hunting grounds for aspiring influencers, famous global landmarks like Times Square in New York, Shibuya crossing in Tokyo, Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul are dotted with tripods and TikTokers filming themselves.

 

Last year in October, 24-year-old American YouTuber Johnny Somali was barred from leaving South Korea after he uploaded a video of himself kissing the Statue of Peace in Itaewon, central Seoul. The statue, a painful reminder of the country’s past, commemorates the victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery during WWII. As Somali’s third trial hearing is scheduled for August 13, a liberal arts professor at Sungshin Women’s University wrote on his social media, “I hope a strong punishment is imposed in the case to set an example.”

 

A blog in Korean media, turned to responders both online and offline to gauge their views on the question, “Are TikTokers turning into a public nuisance?” Those enjoying a stroll at a public park on a beautiful, clear day would know what it is like to be suddenly faced with the discomfort of a candid photoshoot on a nearby bench. The selfie sticks, the ring lights and the world and people for personal backdrops and oblivious influencers who cannot figure out how it is annoying.