This past weekend, I went to a concert in Philadelphia. I was so excited to go and see one of my favorite bands live. However, thanks to the iPhone, the experience was not as great as it could have been. Right before the main performer goes on, there is that surge in anticipation. People are patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for the band to go on. It is almost silent because no one wants to miss anything. Once the band hits the stage, all the phones go up.
I have been going to concerts going on 10 years now. When I first started going to concerts, it was so exciting even though my mom had to tag along since I was only 12. It was incredible how a live set could really make the music from my favorite albums come alive. Back then, digital cameras were all the rage. However, not EVERYONE had one or brought it with them simply because an extra bulky thing to carry.
These days, forget the digital camera. All people need is their smartphone. The smartphone is capable of capturing great pictures and videos. You can even just record the music through voice memos if you please. Since the majority of people have smartphones, everyone is using theirs to capture the concert. This is extremely annoying when you are behind a group of people with their phones all up in the air and all you want to do is be in the moment and enjoy the concert.
When did we all become so obsessed with savoring the moment for later that we all forgot to live in the moment? People are so focused on getting the perfect Instagram picture or posting a Snapchat to update all their friends. Multitasking is not as easy as it sounds in this scenario either. It becomes an obsession to get a clear picture that half of the time is spent going through and deleting pictures or trying to recapture the perfect moment. In reality, the photos you look at and the videos you re-watch are not going to be the same as being at the concert. You will hope you can still feel that energy when watching one of your recordings, but you won't.
Also, you are usually spending upwards of $50 to go to a concert. For me, being able to go to a concert is a special treat. If you are dropping that kind of money, you might as well fully enjoy the concert by being an active participant and jumping and dancing and singing along.
It is generally better to just put the phone down. Live in the moment. The memories you have from the concert will suffice. You will remember how it felt when the band played your favorite song. If you desperately want to re-watch it, YouTube can usually help you out.
