I feel as if I speak for all "millennials" when I say we've seen countless articles lecturing us on the mental and social implications of social media. For the record, I don't plan for this article to be one of those lectures -- at this point we're too far down the rabbit hole of social media to come back out. I did want to share this idea I came across that offers a completely new perspective to social media, Instagram in particular.

Jason Silva, a TV personality and filmmaker released a video in 2014 describing the Instagram generation by branching off of an idea popularized by nobel memorial prize winner, and psychologist, Daniel Kahneman. Kahneman's quote, "The 'Instagram Generation' now experiences the present as an anticipated memory," is the main idea of Silva's video.

Silva and Kahneman debated that the Instagram generation lives two realities at once: the experiencing self and remembering self. My mind started to go on its own tangent during this video, and I gathered something else. While watching the video, I began thinking about the photo-filter vintage effects we use on pictures, and the connections we have to them.

Growing up, I spent so much of my time looking through albums upon albums of my parents old photographs. Because they were all shot on film, the pictures shared a certain grainy quality. I always admired this quality and connected it to the ideas of memories and nostalgia. What I find so amazing, is that our generation has created apps and filters that artificially create this film-like aesthetic. These editing apps help our pictures resemble the pictures I grew up looking at; we've manipulated technology to create vintage-esque photographs for our generation's memories.

While the true impact of the video may be lost in my ramblings, I couldn't help but think about my personal use of filters. I think I'm subconsciously tied to the idea of film and grainy pictures connecting withe memories. Our faux-film filters resonate with my emotions and expectations, even if their authenticity is in question. I think the idea of filters creating faux-vintage photos speaks to the artistic and emotional connections and expectations we create for our experiences.

While the term, "Instagram generation" can be laden with negative connotations, I like to look at it in a positive and artistic nature. Technology has advanced enough that our generation is capable of artificially creating filters that reflect our emotional connection and expectations for memories to those of the past.

Our photographs are pauses in specific moments of our lives. These snapshots help to tell our story by visualizing where we've been and how we have grown. We capture these significant moments in life, not only for us to remember, but for us to share with others in hopes of them gathering a better understanding of who we are. Our pictures are a representation of who we are, what we're interested in, and what has shaped us. Its no surprise that we have such an emotional and artistic connection to pictures. Photography helps us artistically capture moments that are important to us as individuals.

Experimenting with film cameras is a great way to understand these artistic expectations for our photographs. Film is a great experience because it allows you to focus more on the moment and individual photograph, than the perceived memory. With film cameras, there is no digital screen for you to evaluate and scrutinize your pictures. You simply take your pictures and move on, hoping for the best. You have to allow for the final product to be a mystery to you, until you get your film developed.

Once separated from the concept of approval and competition, Instagram is a great tool for people to share their stories and experiences. Through the collection of photos, similar in their faux-film filter quality, Instagram is a technological and artistic representation of yourself. I understand how easy it is to get caught up in it, and find yourself, as Kahneman suggested, living two realities at once. But it doesn't have to be that way. Stress less on the competition and focus on the quality of the moment you're capturing. Take in the present moments as they happen and not on the perceived memory you plan on repackaging to the world. Keeping this in mind will ensure you live a life worth remembering.