Are today's dancefloors making us feel more uneasy?

When it comes to Partying 101, safety is absolutely paramount. If you feel unsafe at a club or festival, you will not enjoy yourself. It’s that simple.

Safety isn’t just about your physicality - it’s intrinsically connected to how you feel mentally. Lack of safety comes in many forms.

Here’s why some of today’s dance floors feel more unsafe than they have in the past…

SELF-SURVEILLANCE CULTURE
This is a big one. Everyone has a camera on their phone, and some people have no respect for privacy. How can you feel safe enough to express yourself freely if there’s a chance you might end up being filmed and ridiculed on social media? Even the events themselves are filming everything in HD.

MANICURED SPACES WITH INVISIBLE RULES
Polished and well-curated spaces where people go to be seen and look cool can be incredibly restrictive and inhibiting. It’s difficult to feel safe when you’re surrounded by people striving for superficial status points. The negative impact of potential social exclusion is very real.

LACK OF BOUNDARIES
In spaces where it’s inevitable you’ll be very close to strangers, unwanted attention, lack of consent and boundary-pushers can cause issues - especially if they’re inebriated. Boundaries get blurred or ignored, and assaults can occur. This is especially present for women in rave spaces.

THE THEATRE OF SECURITY
When bouncers search you aggressively at the door and command an imposing presence throughout the night, their role becomes counter to what it should be. Safety goes out of the window and is replaced by control. There’s less safety when you feel scrutinised by the very people meant to be protecting you.

LESS COMMUNITY & SOCIAL COHESION
At bigger events especially, there can be a lack of community. People turn up in cliques and resist connecting with others. To feel safe, humans need a sense of belonging. When this isn’t possible, it creates fear and unease.