As children of the social media age, we see the world through our own unique lens. However, often that lens is that of our iPhone, and we end up missing a lot of what is happening around us in order to keep up with the demand to document it all. I am not claiming to be immune to this phenomenon, and in fact have caught myself amongst the worst of the “basic” girls eternally asking “will you take our picture?”
In most cases, including mine, the need to take a picture comes from a genuine desire to be able to remember fun times and relive memories through photos. But there is that itching motivation in the back of my head to photograph to let people know that I’m doing something fun and have friends – admit it, you’ve felt it too. My challenge for the summer is live more in the moment, rather than in picture taking mode, and here’s why you should too.
1. Even though you’re not documenting it, you’re having more fun.
When you’re not busy taking pictures or worrying about taking pictures, you’re actually having the fun that you’re advertising to the world. Isn’t this the real point of all your summer adventures?
2. You don’t have to wake up the next morning with the duty of sending everyone pictures from last night.
Let someone else do the honors this time, and spare yourself the annoyance of trying to finish your homework Sunday night amidst the constant influx of picture sending requests.
3. You stay in a good mood.
A fun night out or the accomplishment of climbing a mountain should be met with celebration and joy. There’s nothing worse than your good mood getting spoiled by a bad picture of yourself.
4. Your phone is safer.
When you’re not taking pictures, your phone is happy in its home of your purse or pocket. If you’ve always got it at the ready, damage potential is imminent whether it's in the sand, off the railing, or in the toilet.
5. You’re taking yourself out of a war you’ll never win.
Spoiler alert: the quest for the perfect profile picture or Instagram post will never be conquered. The constant checking for likes is a web of anxiety you don’t need in your life.
6. You’re much better received by humanity.
I can see the world rolling its eyes when I spin around looking for someone to take a picture of my friends and me. Oftentimes, the entire moment is put on hold for a silly picture that people keep hopping in on, and the people at the table over are tired of being blinded by your flash.
7. You’re saving phone battery.
This one may seem simple, but our phones are our greatest source of safety when we’re out at night. If you’ve spent the entire night taking pictures, you could get stuck in a tricky situation, unable to call or GPS.
8. The pictures you do take are more special.
If you’re not constantly taking pictures, the ones you do capture are more momentous, and chances are you’re not taking ones that will earn you criticism from the whole family at Thanksgiving.
9. No one feels left out.
If we all just engage in our activities, rather than letting everyone know what we’re doing, we don’t run the risk of anyone getting hurt. All the silly passive aggressive online competition aside, you don’t really want to rub your fantastic life in anyone’s face or make anyone feel left out.
10. You don’t have to worry about how you look.
I don’t know who looks fantastic after a big hike or a night out, for that matter, and we’re doing us all a favor if we just spare the pictures.
I’m not suggesting that we all suddenly go mute on social media -- I know that would be hard for me. I want to be able to look back on my college years, so I’ll continue to take some pictures, but a conscious effort to tone down the documenting can lead to a happier, more mindful existence.
