In today's age of smartphones and social media, people everywhere are obsessed with capturing a perfect photo or video of every precious moment in their lives. We spend so much time searching for the perfect Instagram filter, thinking of a witty caption, or simply taking photos in general. Photography is a beautiful thing, and I do believe that we should take photos of special moments in our lives. For many, however, it has become an addiction. Some people, particularly the younger generations, place a high value on getting the perfect photos or videos for Snapchat or Instagram. Other people care less about posting photos or videos to social media, but they still go out of their way to make sure they have many memories of their great times saved on their camera roll. In both scenarios, there is one central problem—people are no longer living in the moment.
Every moment in life is fleeting; every minute that passes is one minute you'll never get back. That fact makes me realize that I want to enjoy the moment at hand. I want to have fun with the people I care about and go on random adventures that will make for great stories to tell. Above all, I want to enjoy the beauty of life without being a slave to a camera. I don't need to have my phone out constantly to take photos of every good time I have, because if I did that, I would be detracting from the fun I should be having. I would be living my life for the satisfaction of a future-me looking back at the photos, rather than for my current satisfaction. Or, even worse, I would be living my life to show other people how much fun I'm having rather than simply having fun for myself.
I'm not saying people should go back to the dark ages and never use their phones or social media. Photos and the social media outlets used to share them are both great ways to have memories on hand. Some moments are very valuable, and they are worth having a permanent way of looking back on them. However, some moments are better spent simply living them and enjoying them. Take concerts, for example. One of the most frustrating things is going to a concert and seeing a sea of phone lights the entire time. The time spent constantly snapping photos and taking videos could be time spent singing your heart out and dancing like no one's watching. Take a few photos and some videos here and there, but don't diminish your current fun for a permanent memory. The most valuable memories are not in the form of photos or videos, but rather in the form of reminiscent thoughts. There is a powerful quote by Nayyirah Waheed that I read recently. She said, "Would you still want to travel to that country if you could not take a camera with you?" This quote is applicable to both traveling and daily life. We place such a high value on capturing perfect photos, when the real value lies in the experiences we have and the beauty we see from our eyes, not from a phone.
Allowing yourself to live in the moment without trying to capture every moment in a photo or video is wise for both now and in the future. When you're on your deathbed, you aren’t going to ask the people beside you to show you all of the photos you've taken over the years. Personally, I would rather reflect on the good times I had by remembering what I did in my life and how I felt rather than what I looked like or the number of likes I got on a photo. I want to look back on my life knowing that I lived every moment to its absolute fullest. Every good memory is valuable, but the best memories are often the ones saved in your head, not your camera roll.
