Here’s the thing, there are so many problems that come with social media, but there are benefits too. Most people see technology as a force driven by hate, vanity, and selfishness. They see people walking around staring at their smartphones and failing to communicate with each other. It is true that people everywhere are missing the world around them. It’s also apparent that some millennials have difficulty communicating with others, particularly when it comes to superiors. There are so many terrible things that come with social media. It is a vehicle for bullying, it decreases productivity, it keeps people from reading or exercising, and it creates fake profiles of people’s lives.

Scrolling through Instagram or Twitter you see the best moments of people’s lives. It looks like they have it all figured out. The reality is it took them three hours to get ready and another hour and half to edit that photo to make you believe their life is fantastic. A major argument against social media is that it is causing millennials to live in their own false and isolated worlds. Recently, I’ve actually noticed something very different happening.

I’m not going to argue that some people get stuck living through their phones and failing to notice things, but I will say that is not true for all millennials. Particularly amongst my college friends I’ve noticed a shift in the way we use media. It is so much more than a distraction, it has trained us to notice the details. We aren’t missing out on the beauty of the world around us, but rather memorializing it. Sure we take photos, but we take them because we ARE noticing the beauty in the world around us. We appreciate the details, we notice every tree, every sunset, every cup of coffee, every rainy day, and every oil spill on the pavement.

Through technology we are creating time capsules full of the best moments in our lives. A time capsule full of inspiration, passion, love, and beauty. It motivates us to create, and to do the things we love. It serves as a mirror through which we can understand ourselves better, and understand the lives we are trying so desperately to live. It gives a voice to a generation that can’t be ignored. It connects people from all over the world. It builds communities and support systems.

Growing up with technology is something that few people in the world have been able to experience before now, so of course there are problems with it. However I do believe my generation is beginning to find their way. We have learned to put our phones down. I’ve seen college students telling others to put their phones away and appreciate the moment. The system is still flawed, but it is starting to balance out. I see kids policing their media usage better than most adults. I see millennials creating lives, building futures, connecting to people, and appreciating the world through media. I see millennials creating history, and it isn’t something to be discouraged. Media is changing and it looks like it’s for the better.