Social media provides plenty of benefits in our lives, from sharing photos with friends and family to getting the latest breaking news as it happens and more. It also allows plenty of people the means to act differently than they would in person, sometimes for the sake of an audience of other online friends, and at other times, because they’re just intoxicated. A quick search on Twitter will show the number of people who joke about having a car breathalyzer… but, for their social media accounts. In other words, too much alcohol is the problem when confronted with those embarrassing photos and messages, just like it is the culprit behind drinking and driving.
Facebook is reportedly developing an app that will discourage intoxicated people from posting embarrassing photos, helping us “save face” the next day, or for as long as the photos live in cyberland. But, a photo doesn’t really test a person’s true level of intoxication, especially before he or she is about to drive home. A photo leaves plenty of room for interpretation, while a car breathalyzer detects the actual level of alcohol in the blood and whether a person is truly able to drive safely. So, this app may be a lifesaver for your online reputation, it wouldn’t be reliable enough to stop you from drinking and driving.
Since people see the benefit of a car breathalyzer for stopping a person from drinking and driving, it only makes sense that they joke about the same “lock out” technology for social media posts and photos. However, the slippery slope caused by a smartphone app isn’t worth trusting completely when you risk a drunk driving incident or a real car breathalyzer requirement. If you have been drinking, your best bet is to put your smartphone away and find a safe ride home.