Street interviews are the social media equivalent of sticking your hand out the window to feel the temperature- they let us know what is happening in the outside world. Recently, though, there has been debate about whether street interviewers have gone too far in their pursuit of views by disregarding personal boundaries and exploiting interviewees.
People found gripping a mic outside clubs tend to prove this accusation correct. These interviewers prey on people who have been drinking by asking them to open up in a manner they ordinarily wouldn’t. Questions of “what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?”or “what’s your body count?” have been responded to with admittals of doing drugs, committing sexual acts, or exposing personal details. These interviews put their subjects in danger and create a damaging digital footprint.
Asking how much rent people pay or what music they are listening to may also be deemed as exploitative, as subjects are made into a consumable product, an entity out of which to extract an answer for views. Superficial questions present subjects as caricatures of themselves – something to be praised, reviled or commented upon, but not real people.
The distorted reality of street interviews is similarly perpetuated by interviewers who “rage bait”. Rage baiting sees interviewers scripting a controversial response to questions asked of an actor. Their response generally creates arguments in the comment section of the video, increasing internet traffic and monetary gains. Jamie Cohen Ph.D., a lecturer on digital culture and media at Queens College says that this content is targeted at “vulnerable” internet users who are “less media literate.”
However, street interviews can also provide a positive platform for discussion. The TikTok account @discoveringartists.irl interviews emerging artists, sharing their music to a new community of listeners. Another TikTok account called @middleseat.nyc brings a sofa to the street and invites passersby to sit down and share their story. They create a communal space to interact meaningfully with everyday people and foster a sense of shared humanity. Interviews taken at protests also act as important political barometers, highlighting issues that constituents care about.
However, the growing popularity of street interviewers is something many pedestrians are aware of and lingers in the back of their minds when stepping outside the house. Does this ever-present threat of being spotlighted online make us slaves to our own self-perception? We may change our outfits in hopes of being featured on “what are you wearing Wednesdays” or walk extra nonchalantly to look cool on screen in case someone jams a camera in our face. By changing ourselves to fit the ideal interview subject, we become voyeurs in our own minds – watching someone watching ourselves.
Despite this, the street interview is not beyond saving. It is simply a matter of changing the culture. Focussing on creating ethical content instead of attention grabbing gimmicks must be the start if street interviewers want to carve out a more positive niche on social media platforms.
“Protester being interviewed in St. Anthony” by Fibonacci Blue is licensed under CC BY 2.0.