Thursday 18 February 2010

Chatroulette - what a blast.


Last night, I found myself typing in that dreaded URL for the first time, yes, I was indeed a chatroulette virgin. Thinking it would be fairly tolerable, and maybe a chance to laugh at girls who put on a full face of make-up and smile sweetly in the hope that they'll meet their dream man online. I was wrong.
There was very little in the way of savoury entertainment, I've never seen so many dicks in my life. Seriously. The first time I saw some faceless man wanking off infront of his webcam I saw myself blush onscreen. The second I was shocked and by the 6th I was laughing.

It does bother me that people must sit there waiting for someone to enjoy their exhibitionistic outlet. Many men first seemed nice enough, "where are you from? how are you?" etc, but as soon as the basics were covered it turned more into "I want to see British titties". Hmmm. No.

The basic rules of chat roulette are that you have your webcam on and you can talk to people all across the world, when you get bored, jsut click 'next' and your gone, off to a new stranger.

The whole idea has very good intentions, bringing people all over the world together in seconds. But the outcome is more like a montage of porn juxtaposed with fifteen year old girls in their bra's.

At one point 6 of my housemates were in my room with a blow up, naked doll, showing the men her breasts when requesting some 'boobies'. It was funny for a while.
A few times I've actually come across some really interesting/ funny people, who I will never see again. Which I suppose is the beauty of it.

People sit around with all sorts of props, I met some guys dressed as a hostage and a terrorist with a sign saying ' show boobs to save hostage'.

There are also some really disturbing things on there. One of them was a man hanging in the corner of a room, which I presume is a picture and not real life, but still, considering there is no need for proof of age its worrying that 12 year olds could be watching these things.

The internet has broadened our social web but also narrowed it. When was the last time you spoke to a facebook friend in real life? I bet some of mine are more than 6 months.
This need for short term friendship is both exciting and exhausting, and that reflects my real life situations. Sometimes I feel completely out of sociability, I put my ipod in and mute everything around me.
I'm constantly on facebook or blackberry messenger or texting. Its not real, and it's making us lose out on the beauty of real experiences, and actually clicking with people and being able to talk for hours on end, without the aid of a time delay to think of some witty comeback.

I sometimes wonder if I'm shooting myself in the foot trying to meet new people all the time in the hope that one of them will actaully be worht my time.

Maybe looking too hard for another component is whats making me this one (wo)man band.

3 comments:

  1. It is a bizarre concept this socialising of a virtual kind. I mean, I fall into the category of not having spoken to you in real life for probably nearly a year, yet I can know how you are at any time, negating the need to ask. Very odd, and is something I do not like.

    However, without it you would be lost until sometime time in the indeterminable future (a chance meeting when you are old and I am older?) when we may be past our best.

    I say keep meeting new people. Lives are made through experiences and the greater mix of people involved the better for sure. Every now and again. I quite frequently go in the search for new friendship circles (sometimes culling the old) just for the hell if it. Good times.

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  2. Have you ever tried playing charades with people on there? that's the winner..

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