At some time or another we all have had that annoying “storage almost full, manage in settings,” or, “not enough available storage to take a photo” message pop up on your phone at the most inconvenient times. There are two types of people in this world: those who simply can’t fathom the thought of how anyone could have over 1,000 pictures on their phone (aka our parents) and those who understand the pain you feel as you begin scrolling through your camera roll trying to find the next photo to fall victim to the delete button. To those of you who have found yourselves in this same situation, on numerous occasions, I am here to tell you that you are not alone and yes, you are perfectly normal.
Our generation is becoming the “capture every moment” generation and with all the forms of social media and sharing that are available to us, can you blame us for mastering the art of taking a picture or video in a matter of seconds? It is because of this that we feel the uncontrollable need to take a little piece of the moment away to cherish forever. There’s nothing more enjoyable than scrolling through your camera roll and in a way re-experiencing how you felt in that very moment that is captured on your screen. Whether it be a first date with someone special, a video from a family vacation two summers ago, or that unforgettable weekend out with all of your friends from college, watching these memories is like having your own personal step back into the past. You find yourself smiling from ear to ear, laughing out loud, or maybe even shedding a few tears because sometimes that memory was just as good as the actual moment.
Before this great age of cell phones or technology in general, it was the world of photo albums, scrapbooks, and boxes full of loose photos. I can’t begin to count the number of pictures my family has laying around from when we were little going all the way back to when my grandparents were growing up. They question our ability to rack up thousands of pictures on our phone, but the truth is that they are just like us. I remember many occasions where we visited family and old photo albums were brought out within seconds of us arriving. They enjoy reminiscing about old times just as much as us, the only difference being that with each generation there are new advancements, and with those advancements comes new ways of enjoying old things.
The most amazing part about being a memory hoarder is that you have something to look back at and remember when the memories are all that you have left. When I lost my grandmother earlier this year, nothing seemed to make me feel better than looking at old pictures and videos I had of us and the family in my phone and on social media. A simple, seven-second video is constantly replayed whenever I miss the sound of her voice and brings back a flood of memories. That is the power of memories. They make you feel emotions from moments you thought were long gone, even if they aren’t always good ones. So please don’t judge us as we take time to record something instead of “actually living in the moment.” The truth is, we are living in the moment because we are there, but we are also thinking of how we can keep that memory living forever. Don’t question our absurd number of photos on our phones and ask, “Can’t you find something to delete?” The answer is no, because deleting that picture or video is like deleting a piece of our life. So save your storage space if you must, but know that if you feel the need to relive a moment, just contact your closest memory hoarder and relive on!
