When Fear Takes Away Happiness: Dancing, Social Pressure, and the Christian Message

Fear of Dancing in the Age of Surveillance

You know, youth culture has always had a pulse, right? It’s literally been about dancing since at least the 1920s. Back then, it was all about the Charleston. Fast forward through the decades, and you’ve got swing and jitterbug in the 30s and 40s, followed by the rock-and-roll dance crazes, like the twist and the mashed potato. The disco era in the 70s? Can’t forget that. And then the 80s brought us electric slides and breakdancing. By the 90s, hip-hop was the king of the dance floor, with things like the Hammer dance. Though, okay, I won’t mention the Macarena…oops, looks like I just did. The 2000s? That’s when the Cha Cha Slide came around. And in the 2010s, we were introduced to iconic moves like the Gangnam Style, Harem Shake, and twerking.

Now, here we are in the 2020s. TikTok has really changed the dance landscape, with new moves popping up all the time from artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat. But you know what’s curious? There’s been a shift in how people engage with dancing. Participating has taken a backseat.

An article points out that nowadays, many people seem hesitant to dance at concerts or clubs because of a fear of judgment and surveillance. It’s like, if you’re worried about what others think—or worse, ending up as an internet meme—dancing becomes a no-go. Instead of “dancing like no one’s watching,” now it’s all about a new reality: “If everyone’s eyes are on you, it might be captured and shared forever.”

Everyone’s conscious of how they might look. So, instead of letting loose, they freeze.

The dance happens mostly within the confines of short videos—think of all those rehearsed routines on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube that have caught on and gone viral. But in a live setting? It’s different. It feels like the fun gets sucked out.

Tyler, the Creator, expressed this concern back in July. He reflected on how his generation’s joy for dance has been stifled. A lot of his friends admitted they don’t dance in public because they fear being caught on camera. It’s a shame, really. This pure expression of enjoyment has become almost ghostly.

It’s made me think about how today’s youth navigates their lives. There seems to be this underlying fear of standing out, like everyone’s trying to fit in. There was once a saying about “marching to the beat of a different drum.” It used to signify the bravery of being true to oneself. Thoreau even mentioned it in *Walden*: it’s about hearing your own music and following that.

For everyone, especially Christians, that individual courage is more vital now than ever. We’re called to shine bright in a world that often feels dark.