Lavish parties on social media appealing to young people: SFU expert

A massive house party took place in the small Lower Mainland village of Anmore this weekend, and seems it had everything — exotic cars, helicopters, alcohol and more — all but the favour of neighbours and the town’s government. Isabelle Raghem reports.

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – After a lavish party in Anmore last weekend left some neighbours shaking their heads, an SFU professor says seeing pictures and videos online may spur some reaction from young people.

Ahmed Al-Rawi is a communications professor at the university, he says while some may find these parties appealing, reactions from the community may deter others from taking part or trying to throw a massive party of their own.

“Is there a possibility young people might be affected? Probably. Maybe even in a good way, a positive way,” Al-Rawi says. “Some people may find this abhorrent or wrong. They would avoid doing it.”

RELATED: Belcarra mayor raises concerns as organizers of wild house party in Anmore plan next bash

When it comes to the party thrown in Anmore and plans to throw a similar rave in Belcarra underway, Al-Rawi says for those who want to join in, they’re likely mocking behaviour they’ve seen on social media.

“I have seen similar videos circulating not only in Canada but in conservative countries like Iran. So this seems to be an interesting thing for young people to share with others.”

He adds since teens and young people are constantly bombarded with extreme images on social media, like ones from the lavish party that sparked anger from Anmore and Belcarra’s Mayors, it’s no surprise some may be keen to experience it for themselves.

“This is just part of our own culture. People who took this video probably saw a lot of this in songs and movies. They may be imitating a lot of what they’ve already seen.”

Al-Rawi also says it’s important to have healthy conversations about what kids might be exposed to online so that it’s not normalized.

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