Is Chatroulette the newest casual thrill, or a viral ill

By Vijay Rajaram     4/22/10 7:00pm

Fun. Entertaining. Unsafe. Crude. Random. When was the last time you heard something described in such a way? Yet this seemingly incoherent set of adjectives perfectly describes the newest web sensation: Chatroulette. Chatroulette is a website that connects you to a random stranger with the help of webcams. The brainchild of a Russian teenager, Chatroulette has already entered the mainstream in terms of Internet memes.

And I decided to give it a go earlier this week. While most people did not stay to chat, there were others looking for a genuine conversation. I explored the site for two hours and I met some interesting people: college students from Boston, a rising artist advertising his new rock song on iTunes, a couple at Ohio State University, a shy, middle-aged woman from France, a businessman from Sydney and a group of friends playing a Chatroulette drinking game. (Every time they saw a penis, they would drink.)

While the chats consisted only of small talk, for the purposes of writing this column, I probed people as to their motives for using the site. The responses I heard were varied but can generally be classified into simple curiosity, an attempt to make friends, boredom and, lastly, seeking or giving some sort of sexual gratification. Speaking of sexual acts, there were numerous inappropriate images that I witnessed during my Chatroulette visit. These disturbing images certainly dented my perceptions of the website and served as a sobering reminder of the dangers that any social Internet site poses. While the site's official policy states that one must be at least 16 years old and wearing clothes, this is just a latent security measure. For parents already grappling with controlling their children's Internet usage, this website poses the danger of an unfiltered portal for uncouth and unbridled content, in addition to safety concerns regarding sexual solicitors. Chatroulette is taking steps to counter these issues; for example, a report button is available to inform the website's administrators of those who break the rules regarding behavior and clothing.

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The greatest thing about Chatroulette is that an awkward conversation or indecent material can go away in a flash through the power of the "next" button. Wanna get away? Next. While that's all it takes to remove oneself entirely from any uncomfortable situation, it also reaffirms the transient and sometimes inconsequential nature of chatting. An engaging conversation might be ended with no explanation. To me, this represents both a curse and a blessing. In a sense, it is an issue because Chatroulette can be no more than a social portal for meeting strangers, but that's where the buck ends. No virtual social capital is truly built because the potential for rejection is around the corner, leading to potentially entertaining but certainly unpredictable conversations.

It is also a boon because one is offered relative anonymity (unless you choose to reveal information) and some security and solace in the knowledge that no one can track you down. All chats are random and the probability that one will see the same person twice is relatively slim. This randomness presents another issue: the likelihood of a conflict of interests. What I mean by this is simply that not everyone is looking for the same thing. More often than not, I was simply "nexted" by people or in some cases, thrown insults and then "nexted"; that is, it was somewhat rare to find people actually wanting to talk. This uncertainty certainly produced frustration but also made me realize that Chatroulette is meant to be taken in measured doses. It is certainly not on a Facebook level, in the sense that it should not be frequented on a daily basis; it seems more appropriate for a certain Friday or Saturday night in need of a cheap thrill.

In saying this, I do admit that Chatroulette has an oddly addictive feel to it; I meant to use it for about half an hour but could not manage to tear myself away. The only explanation I can give is that the website generates a sort of excitement only found in gambling. Yes, Chatroulette is an apt name not only for its randomness but also its intrinsic ability to make you come back for more, for reasons I cannot quite pin down. Be careful not to let Chatroulette consume more of your time than expected. Know when to move on. If you are not faint-hearted and willing to be a bit adventurous, I suggest you give it a whirl. Just don't overplay.

Vijay Rajaram is a Baker College freshman.

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