Q&A
Root causes of subway surfing and comparison to past trends
1:24:15
·
142 sec
Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about the root causes of subway surfing and how current trends compare to past occurrences. Officials identify social media as the primary driver and discuss the differences from past incidents:
- Social media is unanimously identified as the number one root cause
- Other factors include a sense of belonging, adrenaline rush, and dopamine release
- The key difference from past occurrences is the instant recognition and gratification provided by social media
- Officials note that subway surfing videos can now reach millions of viewers instantly
- The desire for likes and online attention is a significant motivator for youth
- The addictive nature of social media engagement is highlighted as a contributing factor
Rita Joseph
1:24:15
What's the number one thing you get when you meet a subway surfer that what causes them?
1:24:20
What's are we identifying the root cause of why would someone wanna get risk their lives just for whether it's whether it's social media likes or whatever the re whatever the reasons are?
1:24:30
Have we identified some of the root causes?
Kevin Dantzler
1:24:34
Sure.
1:24:35
Thanks to our partnership with DYCD and focus groups, some of the root cause well, the number one root cause across the board was social media.
UNKNOWN
1:24:43
Mhmm.
Kevin Dantzler
1:24:43
That's one thing.
1:24:44
We also learned through the focus groups that there's a subculture of subway surfing.
1:24:50
A sense of belonging, a way to distinguish themselves from others are some of the drivers for this.
1:24:57
It also was worth mentioning, as part of our efforts as a working group, we engage in a number of different agencies.
1:25:03
And our colleagues in DOHMH, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene also helped us understand there can be an addictive component for some of our young people.
1:25:13
The adrenaline rush, the dopamine release, some of those things are also drivers for the behavior.
1:25:18
Now, the young people themselves didn't use that terminology, but they'd speak about the adrenaline rush, how free it feels to be on top of the subway car.
1:25:26
So those are some of the things we learned from the young people themselves about the drivers.
Rita Joseph
1:25:30
During my little research around subway surfing, I know this started in the eighties.
1:25:34
What is different today from what was happening back then?
Michael Kemper
1:25:39
Social media.
1:25:40
Yep.
Rita Joseph
1:25:41
Number 1, social media.
Michael Kemper
1:25:42
I see.
1:25:43
Social media.
UNKNOWN
1:25:44
Alright.
Mark Rampersant
1:25:45
It's the it's the instant recognition.
Rita Joseph
1:25:48
The instant gratification.
Mark Rampersant
1:25:49
The daredevil, you know, acts that these young people are doing.
1:25:53
Right?
1:25:53
So in the eighties I mean, I wasn't here in eighties, but, in the eighties
Rita Joseph
1:25:57
I wasn't there 80.
Mark Rampersant
1:25:58
We don't do the math.
1:26:01
You we didn't have you didn't have the ability to get likes.
1:26:05
And the more likes you got, the more the more the more.
1:26:09
Right?
1:26:09
I have never, seen anyone or group wanting to be liked more than our young people.
Michael Kemper
1:26:17
Look.
1:26:17
You you years ago, you were Subway Surf depending on how many people you, you you went by.
1:26:22
Saw you 50 people, 100 people.
1:26:24
You know, you take you put the right video on the right, social media platform, it's being seen by 1,000,000, millions.
Rita Joseph
1:26:36
Thank you.
