Hello, Stranger

Three months ago I took my shiny new iPhone out of its box and began perusing The App Store for ways to entertain myself with my new device.  Instagram was one of the first apps I downloaded.  My sister (who got her iPhone at the same time) was an insta-Instagram enthusiast.  For a while, she stopped to take photos of everything around her and spent lots of time choosing the perfect filter.  She brags about only posting "artistic" photos.  She doesn't post group photos of friends or mirror pics of herself.  She's above that.

I looked back at my sister's profile.  Although it still remains (mostly) human-free.  I found a photo she took of two little boys on scooters this summer.  She does not know the boys and hastily pulled her phone out as they sped past her on the side walk.  They were too cute for her to not share with the world.  However, at times I wonder what their mother will think if she ever comes across this photo on a stranger's Instagram page.

This weekend I found myself browsing through photos posted by a neighbor whose kids I watch from time to time.  I laughed out loud when I got to a photo of another neighbor (and close family friend) that had clearly been snapped unbeknownst to the subject while riding the train.  I began thinking about how strange it is to take pictures of strangers and post them on social media.

The comments were funny-- complimenting the "dapper dude's" socks and hat (which is hung on the emergency exit out of frame).  Based on the comments, I assume the photographer does not know the man, but he and his friends have commuted with the "hat dude" on more than one occasion.

Although people watching is a personal hobby, I find it sad that people have lost touch with face-to-face methods of communication due to the growing electronic means.  For example, the photographer could have verbally complimented this guy's style then and there rather than stealthily photographing him. Perhaps the two men would have conversed and found many things in common.  For example, they both have children and live half a mile from one another.  Perhaps if people used verbal communication more often, this would be a photo of a friend, by a friend rather than a strange instance between strangers.