This past week in my “Writing for Cyberspace” class, our opening discussion was about whether or not our culture was tech obsessed. We started with a mini-group assignment, discussing a twitter pic of several teenagers at a Hillary Clinton rally, with all of the girls facing away from Hillary herself with the girls trying to take a “selfie” with her in the photo. The caption of said photo was something along the lines of “a perfect representation of our generation.” In the following discussion, some people acknowledged what the photo was trying to say, but didn’t really see a problem with the actions taken. When I threw my hat in the ring, I mentioned that today’s generation was more about “capturing the moment” rather than “living in the moment.” This picture and discussion got me thinking about how reliant we are on our smart devices, and how tech can sometimes remove us from our surroundings in situations like this. But is this as bad as everyone says it is?
On one side of the argument, I agree that when you’re more focused on taking pictures of what you’re actually doing, rather than actually doing it, you may be a little too attached to your phone, and detached from the real world. People do this with almost everything, from the food they’re going to eat to the concerts that they attend. Friends of mine have told me time and again of people that go to concerts and spend more time filming it then actually seeing their favorite artists in action. When I went to see Billy Joel a few years back with my parents, I took maybe a couple of photos of the arena before the show started. Once the show started however, I was completely immersed in the music, and didn’t want to take my attention away from the man himself; after all, that IS why I went after all. It seems like some people are more obsessed with capturing the moment as proof of their accomplishments, as a commodity or trophy of sorts, rather than living in the moment.
However, on the flipside, taking many photos like this is not necessarily a bad thing. Because many cell-phones, in particular smart phones, have great quality cameras built into them, it only makes sense to take pictures with them whenever you can (especially since most of my peers couldn’t go anywhere without their devices). And even though some people are seemingly focused on having said photos or videos of events to brag and show off, the convenience of these cameras do make it easier to make a memory last. Taking a hike into the forest and see a really beautiful sunset? Take a picture of it! Are you at a convention and see your favorite creator nearby? Snap a selfie with him! Utilizing these phones and cameras to capture a moment can’t be completely seen as a bad thing, and when it comes down to it, having a picture with a person you admire in it (whether a selfie or not) is pretty cool to have on hand to show to others. Most of the people in the picture taking a “selfie” with Hillary Clinton in it were probably encouraged to do so before or after the speech she was giving at the event. It’s when people are constantly taking photos and videos, that they ultimately distance themselves from their reality, that the issue of over using tech becomes an issue.
It all boils down to moderation, and utilizing technology responsibly. Technology is meant to make our lives easier, and shouldn’t be used to overtake our lives completely. When it gets to the point that you’d rather be focused on taking a picture with a person you admire, rather than listen to what they have to say, or even just “soak in” the fact that you’re in their presence, it might be the perfect opportunity to re-evaluate how you use your technology.
