As I sit on the beach with some of my best friends, taking in the summer sunshine with the waves crashing on the shore I realized I was on my phone stalking someone on Instagram. Again. “Why is she taking so many pictures on the beach when she could be sitting there enjoying her surroundings and her company?” raced through my head. I was confused why someone could be so obsessed with capturing moments instead of actually being present in them. Then it dawned on me; I was looking at my phone. I was the one looking at someone else’s adventures through a phone screen. And I was the one judging them for doing the same exact thing I had been doing for the last 35 minutes. Maybe, I was the one doing the same. Maybe, I was not enjoying my surroundings or my company. “Wow, I’m such a hypocritical b*tch,” was my next thought.
It’s time to put down the damn phone. Of course, it is so wonderful to capture precious memories in a picture so you can treasure them forever. But, is it worth it to climb mountains and swim with dolphins all to, “Do it for the ‘gram'?" At least to me that’s a waste. It's a waste to be climbing your ass off to reach the final summit and just being consumed what you’re going to caption your next Snapchat story when you reach the top. It’s ridiculous to think about. It’s not worth it to take picturesque photos of your dinner. Wouldn’t you rather put your phone down, talk to your dad (who, I might add, has waited for you to come home all day just to have a conversation with you) and eat your dinner while it’s still hot.
To me, the moments that are inexplicable, the moments that you remember through your entire body, the moments you remember how you felt and not what you picture onto social media, are the actual memories you treasure for the rest of your life. Those incomprehensible memories are ones for you and only you. And those moments are personal, whether it be the taste of your grandfather’s famous eggplant or those chilly beachside mornings you have with your friends. Personal is good. Personal is special. It’s OK to keep these times to yourself and take everything in all for yourself. Memories are made to remember the good times, the good feelings and the good moments that do not have to be posted all over social media.
I’m so guilty of this. If I go to New York City for fantastic brunch, then you best know that my eggs benedict will be on my Snapchat story with the classic Manhattan geo-tag along the bottom. But now looking back on my memories, both in my mind and on Instagram, I want to remember them firsthand, with my own two eyes and not behind the lens of my iPhone camera. It’s times to put the phone down and live in the moment. Actually live. Breathe it all in. Remember how you’re feeling in that moment and not spend the time documenting every second of your life. Frankly, no one really cares that much anyway.
