Urban Overcrowding and the 21st-Century Flâneur: From Calhoun’s Rodents to Smartphone Wanderers
I recently discovered Cahoun and his ideas about population densities, which got me wondering about 21st century flânuers.
In the mid-20th century, American ethologist John B. Calhoun conducted a series of experiments that would later become iconic in discussions about urbanization and overcrowding. Known as the “Behavioral Sink” experiments, Calhoun’s work involved observing rats in a controlled environment where space was limited, and resources were ample. As the population grew, he observed increasingly aberrant behavior among the rats—social collapse, aggression, and apathy. The findings of these experiments were often used to suggest that similar effects might occur in densely populated human cities. But what do Calhoun’s theories mean in the context of the 21st century, where the urban landscape is not only crowded with people but also with smartphones and the digital realities they create?
The Smartphone Camera: A Tool of Exploration and Alienation
The smartphone camera has become the essential tool for this new flâneur. It is an extension of their gaze, a way to document the urban experience in a way that is both personal and shareable. But this tool also raises questions about the nature of observation and participation in the modern city. Is the smartphone camera a way to connect more deeply with the urban environment, or does it create a layer of separation, distancing the user from the immediacy of their surroundings?
In many ways, the smartphone camera has become a way to reclaim the city from the overwhelming noise and chaos that Calhoun predicted. The act of photographing a street scene, a stranger, or a fleeting moment of beauty is a way of asserting control over one’s environment, of carving out a small space of order and meaning in the midst of urban entropy.
Urban Overcrowding Revisited: Calhoun’s Theories in a Digital Age
Calhoun’s experiments on overcrowding painted a bleak picture of what happens when living beings are crammed into a confined space with limited opportunities for escape or privacy. The 21st century, however, offers a different perspective. While urban areas are indeed more crowded than ever, the digital realm provides an outlet—a space where the modern flâneur can roam freely, capturing and sharing their experiences with others.
Yet, this digital escape is not without its own challenges. Just as Calhoun’s rats exhibited behaviors that were detrimental to their well-being, today’s urban dwellers may find themselves struggling with the pressures of constant connectivity, the demands of social media, and the blurring of lines between public and private life. The smartphone camera, while a tool of exploration, can also become a source of stress and alienation, as the need to document and share can sometimes overshadow the simple pleasure of experiencing the moment.
The Future of the Urban Flâneur
As cities continue to grow and evolve, so too will the role of the flâneur. The smartphone camera will likely remain a central part of this evolution, shaping the way we see and interact with the urban landscape. But whether this tool will help us navigate the challenges of overcrowding and digital saturation, or whether it will contribute to a new kind of behavioral sink, remains to be seen.
In the end, the 21st-century flâneur, like Calhoun’s rats, is a product of their environment. But unlike the rats, they have the power to shape their experience, to choose what to observe, what to document, and what to share. The smartphone camera is both a lens and a mirror, reflecting the complexities of modern urban life and offering a way to make sense of it all. Whether this leads to greater understanding or further alienation is a question that only time will answer.
About the author.
Stuart Murdoch is an Artist and Part time Photo Educator, with over 30 years of teaching experience. He has also nearly 40 years of silver gelatin printing under his belt. He contemplates many things photographic. His ruminations include his own work as well other’s and the aspects of technology that impact on the sharing and consumption of Photographs. And of course the act of making and taking photographs in the 21st century. Photobooks sit quite high on his radar too these days.
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