To be pissed off at some people's need to record every single thing on their phones?

[SantaBallsack]

Dc's class had a little Christmas concert today, held in their classroom. Space was limited as the room was small, so parents were all stood against a wall while the kids were lined up on the opposite wall singing. I reckon 50% of the parents there watched the whole thing through their mobile phones, which is one thing, but there were 3 parents in particular who were jumping in front of the rest of the parents, crawling on hands and knees and generally obstructing everybody else's view so that they could stick their phone right in the kids faces to record.

I've been to a few concerts and gigs recently and it's been everywhere. People sticking phones in the air and obstructing other people's view to record things. Why do people feel the need to do it? Do they actually watch the footage over and over on their phones? Would they not be better off just enjoying it first hand while they are there??

I have all my school plays on video, my dad filmed them with a 90s video camera you had to rest on your shoulder. Don't underestimate how precious these videos can be especially when you get to adulthood. And when you're a teenager and can show it to your friends who were in it too and have a good laugh!

DD had her first nativity last week and after a lot of consideration I did decide to stand out of the way and film the whole thing. I'm so glad I did because my parents and the in laws have been able to watch it when they wouldn't otherwise because they don't live close. And that video will be precious forever.

Can't stand people filming firework displays though.

DS2 sung Christmas carols with his class at the school Christmas festival (held outdoors) and they allowed us to film as long as we didn’t post on social media. I watched the entire thing and recorded less than 30 seconds towards the end for the part that he had been practicing on for days in our home so our families could see him. DH missed it because DS1 (who is autistic) was getting anxious and had to be taken home.

My family live in another country and the in-laws live 5 hours away. I was nowhere near the front (there was a large crowd around the stage they set up with people still trying to push in) but placed myself next to a bench that I was able to stand on to watch.

I can understand being annoyed yet at the same time, I’m glad I have a little bit to show our families and DH.

t's annoying, but less annoying than the folk that wander everywhere with earphones on and phone out, oblivious to other road/footpath/escalator/lift/train users

I think it's fine so long as you do t post it on social media.

I've seen schools do their own records and you can buy it from the school. That seems best option to me

I’m new to the school performance scene, but at my DC’s school you’re not allowed to take photos and videos of performances. I assumed this was the case everywhere, and everyone seems to go along with this happily from what I can tell.

The one that gets me is when people take their phones and try to film in swimming pools - saw this at Center Parcs and also in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. You see people with selfie sticks or hovering their arms above the water trying to avoid the phone getting wet. For God’s sake keep the phone in your locker and have a proper swim with your kids!

I don't mind children's concerts, as long as the phone is in front of the person filming and not blocking someone's else's view.

What I can't fathom though is adults who film their lives and post on social media. I know someone who (I kid you not) films herself opening her post to put on TikTok. And starts every video with "Hey guys I thought I'd update you on...(mundane everyday activity)." And might get 5 likes at a push. Who does she think it's for?
The worst one was where her poor 3 year old daughter was trying to get her attention and she held her hand up and said "No, you can see mummy is making a video". It was a video about a coat that had gone missing in the post!

YANBU but I am the worst offender for this.

I'm terrible. I studied photography a level pre digital photography and my friends and I all would discuss that having your camera on you ruined a good walk / day our because you looked at everything through the lens so to speak, even if the camera is away. It is important to be in the moment and filming/ photography removes you from that

That said, I love looking at old pics and videos and do watch them. There's very few pictures of my childhood and I love looking back and seeing how my own kids are growing. Such precious memories. The digital clutter side is rather overwhelming though.

I loathe people filming at gigs. Gigs are for dancing and jumping about, not standing with your arm in the air like a lemon.

Maybe you should be visiting an optician...

This!

You’re not being unreasonable. I’m not keen of it at all- especially when they get uploaded onto social media.

i keep coming across a meme of a child dancing at his Xmas play (or whatever school event it is ) on insta.

There are other kids in the background also dancing but the “main character” is going in with his dance. Cool, the parents wanted the memento or another parent found it funny but I’d be so pissed off if there was a clip of my child floating around socials, especially as a meme.

there are so many vids like this.

i get it, people want to share with friends and fam but please consider others and the fact that not everyone has this obsession of becoming viral, nor want their child’s image on socials

i do share images of mine in plays/classroom, but if I can’t crop out other peoples children I obscure their faces. Bare minimum

I wish others would do the same

YANBU
If I ever get married, I would ban cameras from the important bits.
At my grandad's funeral, people took photos of his coffin being taken into the chapel. I just don't get it. I woke to FB posts tagging me in photos of me carrying his coffin.

Its not new

It's just that now we have the camera in our pocket rather than one of those massive things bigger than my handbag

We have videos of my school plays

I love seeing videos of friends and family's children because it's something I would miss otherwise

Although lots of schools don't allow for Safeguarding

Same as concerts. I can hold my phone to one side, film specific songs, watch live and dance all at once. I did this for a concert my mom had to miss due to having Covid so she could still see her favourite songs, for example

I've recorded all of my kids concerts/nativities on my phone. While never having to watch the performance on my phone. You just point it, hold it steady then take the occasional glance at it to check it's still focused on them. I've never had to block anybodies view either.
My eldest is an adult now and we absolutely love watching them and I'm so glad that I recorded it. No way would I remember them all in that detail. I wish I had videos of myself as a child too!

God I went to see a band at the O2 in the summer and was at the front pretty much it was amazing. I'd say about 80% of the audience were filming. I was just dancing and people were getting pissed off because I was interfering with their filming. Just live in the moment ffs. I'm sure you can find it on YouTube

Bloody hell, how self absorbed can you get. Sorry for your loss.

YANBU. at my kids nativity we were explicitly told at the beginning no photography/filming allowed due to the safety of some children in the year who absolutely cannot be on social media and that there had been photos taken which would be sent to parents later that afternoon.

Despite that, one or two still insisted on filming and taking photos. Fortunately the head and deputy head swooped in on them at the end and made them delete any videos/photos.

I get why you’d film kids stuff but everywhere else it drives me insane.

Making memories of things you didn’t live.

It is the reason I have stopped going to concerts. I wouldn’t mind the odd picture or very brief video but almost everyone is holding up their phones and trying to record the whole thing. They are watching iit through a tiny screen and not experiencing it direct.

YANBU.

We recently went on the 'Polar Express' and as the steam train came into the station the vast majority of parents were waving their phone in the air trying to capture the moment. I decided to just watch it and enjoy it. I'm 5'1 so it additionally pisses me off when people make their already gargantuan selves even bigger by putting their arms up.

I also commented to DH that they all seemed to instantly forget that their small, excited children were on the edge of a train platform 🙄

Exactly this. I really just do not get it at all. If there’s anyone on here who does it, please, please explain.

The odd photo is fine (even I do that), maybe even a short video, but full songs and the whole concert??! What’s it all about?

Why are the school allowing you to record?
DS' doesn't they provided a photo opportunity after the Nativity for those parents who had given permission for photos. There are safeguarding reasons why some children can't be filmed and it seems slack for the school to allow parents to film at will and distribute however they see fit