Everybody In The Club Skippin' Selfies

In nearly every social media feed — be it Instagram or Facebook — there exists a collection of "the night before" pictures. These images serve as photographic evidence that you were somewhere really cool, dressed super fly, and that fun was had by all. But, what if you were no longer allowed to document getting tipsy at the club? What if you couldn't ask a stranger to take several pictures of you and your girlfriends chicken-wing posing? For New Yorkers, cell phones and photography in night clubs may become a thing of the past.

Two clubs, Output in Williamsburg and Le Baron in Chinatown, have banned photography, along with No. 8 and Sankeys. The reason? Partially, to protect the privacy of celebrity patrons. But, it's also to maintain the exclusivity of the club and its happenings. As No. 8's Amy Sacco told The New York Times, "If it's everywhere, it's not a cool party." In other words, even the likes of Rihanna would be prohibited from Instagramming her 40/40 NYE rave, as to preserve the mystery surrounding the elite venues of NYC nightlife. As the Times' Billy Gray notes, it "could be a desire to shield the famous; codify a pretentious air of mystery; or, in Output’s case, instill a purer, but no less innocent, party mind-set driven by, well, partying and not by retro-filtered Instagram portraits."

It's true that cell phones have changed the way we interact — both with the people on the other end of the line and those around us that we casually ignore as we text to our heart's content. Perhaps a ban on cell phones in clubs would force partygoers to be more in the moment. But, there's also a safety measure to consider. Will the absence of cameras lead to an increase in illicit activity, since it bears no risk of being easily documented? And, more importantly, how will you show your Instagram followers your sick dance moves? (Jezebel and The New York Times)