Rooftop attraction – an explanation

Rooftop attraction – an explanation

By Clancy Scanlan

A sudden influx of daredevil youths to the rooftops of Melbourne’s skyscrapers has caught the attention of many in recent months, including the evening news.

The young ragamuffins post photos taken from the top of some of Melbourne’s most iconic buildings, as well as videos of their endeavours.

The videos show footage of fire escapes being broken into, limbs dangling off buildings, run-ins with security and any number of other risky acts. Some of these videos have been viewed tens of thousands of times

It’s not as though there has been a sudden outburst of life-threatening behaviour in young adults, particularly young males, aged 16-25. The biggest difference between the youth of today and the youth of yesterday is the coverage that risky behaviour can achieve.

Dare-devils now have several online platforms on which to display their stunts and potentially gain the admiration of their peers or the shock of their parents. These online platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, Youtube and a variety of other forums.

What’s more, it’s possible to post photos or videos of illegal activity either with complete anonymity, or using an alias. But some teens choose to forgo anonymity and post photos directly to their Facebook pages, searching for “likes” not from strangers, but from their own friends and family.

It’s almost a tradition for young men everywhere to do stupid things, it’s just that now that we have Facebook, such acts are on display to a much wider audience. And not to sound clichéd but, yes, it is just a phase, and yes they will grow out of it, eventually.

Since Labor has been in power …

Since Labor has been in power …

March 20th, 2024 - Evan Mulholland
Like us on Facebook