Drought Shaming

Originally seen in The Chaffey Breeze. http://thebreezeonline.com.

The data revolution has finally jumped the shark.

Before we dive into why or how that is possible, it is only appropriate to set up what “jumping the shark” is. In the fifth season of the highly popular television sitcom “Happy Days,” one of the main characters, Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, also known as the “Fonz,” literally jumped a shark while water skiing.

That moment signaled the decline of one of America’s most beloved shows. The “Happy Days” brand could no longer evolve and it started with the fictional act of jumping a shark. “Grey’s Anatomy” jumped the shark when it decided to do a musical style episode. Myspace jumped the shark when, well, it was kind of always trying to jump the shark.

Today is the day that it is time to declare that our smart phones have officially jumped the shark and there is no going back and it all comes down to an app called VizSafe.

VizSafe isn’t going to call for the rise of the our robot overlords or release a new strain of the bubonic plague. It is, however, designed to serve as social network neighborhood watch. In our state it has found a new use, publicly shaming people for wasting water. That guy washing his car? Shame him. That lady watering her rose bushes religiously? Shame her.

Yes, we are in a drought and it is serious. Yes, preserving water is a top priority. Problem is, the internet, and the apps connected to it, are not capable of soliciting a measured response.

It doesn’t matter if you are receiving cheers or jeers, you are almost guaranteed to get more than you could possibly deserve.

Like any argument, there are two sides. On one side, usage of this app will certainly shame some people into changing their wasteful habits and maybe even teach them a valuable life lesson. On the other side of the coin there lurks a murky element. Simply put, the attention this brings to certain organizations, individuals, and businesses could be devastating and there is chance they have no clue what they are doing is wrong.

Hidden in the search for ways to inspire compliance is the possibility to ignite large amounts of animosity. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what you do on the internet never leaves the internet. In a world where job interviews are consistently asking for Facebook and Twitter handles, a picture of you washing your sweet ride is terrifying.

The idea of privately reporting people for doing anything wrong is brilliant. The brilliance hinges on to whom the information is reported. Only in comic books and movies does the idea of the vigilante actually work.

The data revolution may be edging on jumping the shark but the way we use and share it doesn’t have to.