In this day and age, almost everyone has these tiny computers in their back pockets called a smartphone. These smartphones can do awesome things, like get you places, allow you to text or call people hands-free, look up information online, and keep you updated on people's lives. But, there is a dark side to these little devices. Some people argue that we are becoming too addicted to them. We can't get our eyes off our phones. You can walk into any restaurant and chances are you will see two or three people sitting at a table together and not be talking. They'll all be playing on their phones. People have gotten seriously injured or died because they were paying attention to their phones and not what was in front of them.
It is also argued that we stop really living. We're too caught up on our phones and we miss the people and events going on in front of us. Instead of making actual memories with friends, we pose for one or two photos to make it look like we're having a blast before retreating back to our phone screens. Then we talk about that awesome night out we had, showing our pictures as proof. Instead of enjoying that awesome concert we went to, or the big game, we worry about documenting it all- because if it's not on Snapchat, it didn't happen... right? Adults bash us millennials for not being present. They tell us that we're in the wrong for capturing all of these "magical moments" instead of living them. But what if we aren't wrong? What if by stepping back and not living in the moment, we gain more than we could've otherwise.
Recently, I was sitting at work, slightly bored and with a little free time on my hands. I decided that now would be an awesome time to go through the 700 photos I had on my phone and delete the ones I didn't want or need. That effort lasted about two minutes. I quickly got lost in looking at photos and videos from throughout the year. Memories flooded through, making me laugh and smile. I found videos that I even forgot I had: one of my friend Vic trying (and failing) to whip and nae nae, one of my suite mate Sneha low key attacking our RA with Sriracha (as a dare/prank so it was an attack in the most loving and laughable way possible), or another of my friend Emily Barbosa and I trying to walk up the walls back to back. There were also photos of us ice skating, making breakfast for dinner together, and general shenanigans. Every photo or video brought back awesome memories.
To say that I had forgotten these great times would not exactly be true. They were still there in the back of my mind somewhere. The photos and videos I had taken brought these times to the forefront of my mind. They also did so at a moment when I really needed a mental and emotional break from what was going on in my life. I don't think I lost anything from being "absorbed in my phone" and taking photos instead of being fully engaged. Maybe I even gained something: something to remind me of the great memories I've made when I need to be reminded, a photo or video to show when I'm telling crazy stories about my lovely friends.
This is not to say that there aren't memories where nobody thought to pause and catch our craziness on their phones. There are tons of things that we did that only our memories will be able to recall, not our phones. And there's nothing wrong with that. You shouldn't be glued to your phone all of the time. It is important to be fully present and in the moment. You can do that and still document your outings too. Maybe it does us good to step out of the moment, get behind the camera, and take a second to appreciate the scene in front you before diving back in.
