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Today, DGTL festival publicly addressed a growing and toxic trend: filming and sharing videos of people dancing without their consent just to ridicule them online. What once was a personal and freeing act of self-expression is being turned into viral shame.
“Our dance floors are built on freedom, expression, and connection… Let’s keep them joyful, respectful, and free.” – DGTL
The statement is clear and necessary. In an era where everyone wants to be a content creator, very few stop to question the ethical line between documentation and exploitation. What’s at stake isn’t just image right it’s dignity, intimacy, and the last fragments of what club culture still holds sacred: the freedom to be.
Ethics : Remember That?
Today, many aspire to be party influencers or scene documentarians. But how many of them actually follow the basic ethical principles of journalism or professional photography?
A clear code of conduct should include:
– Respecting the privacy and integrity of others.
– Refusing payment to artificially boost the image of an artist, a venue, or a brand.
– Taking time to research and truly understand the culture you’re portraying.
But let’s be real, online popularity has replaced professional integrity. What matters now is content volume, not context. Viral potential, not ethics. And too often, that means filming strangers mid-dance, capturing moments they never agreed to share all for a dopamine hit from likes.
When the Dancefloor Becomes a Stage
This isn’t just about phones and consent. It reveals a deeper shift in the party crowd. More and more people are showing up not for the music, but because it “slaps” and looks good on social media.
The dancefloor is no longer a space of shared experience : it’s a backdrop for self-branding. DJs become props. Fellow ravers become extras. The vibe is no longer about collectivity, but personal narrative curated and uploaded in real time.
You don’t need to know the lineup, the label, or even the sound. You just need a fit, a filter, and the right hashtags.
Back to Basics
DGTL’s message isn’t just a call-out, it’s a call-back. A reminder that club culture didn’t grow from virality or branding deals, but from community, care, and rebellion.
“Getting back to the essence means returning to the original philosophy of partying: celebrating without fear of judgment, without unintentionally becoming the main character in a viral video.”
The dancefloor should be the last place where you’re judged, and the first place where you’re free. No one should have to second-guess their movements out of fear of ending up in a cringe TikTok compilation.