Mobile phone cameras

These days, mobile phones have got cameras on them, which allows the user to film video clips. At the time of the quadruple bomb attacks on the London Underground, these grainy images gave a graphic insight into the conditions in the immediate aftermath of the explosions. They have generally added a new dimension to news gathering, giving the public its own platform.

There is a negative offshoot to this. The phenomenon of "happy slapping", which is a very cruel misnomer, has reared its ugly head, facilitated by the advent of phone cameras. Happy slapping is basically someone being beaten up by one or more others, with the violence being recorded on the mobile phone, passed around or posted on the Internet. There is nothing happy about it.

Today saw a slightly different slant to this, when it emerged that a pupil had posted an attack of vandalism on the web. He was seen hurling a brick at a classroom window, egged on by fellow pupils. The culprit was clearly identifiable, as were many of the others. He was subsequently emigrating, but the school has already been in touch with his family overseas. The other pupils have been disciplined.

As I said before, mobile phone cameras have a useful role to play in today's society, but as with so many other modern technologies, are open to abuse. There is little that can be done, save for video-hosting websites to be vigilant as to what is being posted. Technorati Tags: mobile, phone, camera, happy, slapping