Leaning on a post at the top of Capri, in the Amalfi Coast of Italy, I watch as tourists come up and get pictures of the view. Changing their pose to get the perfect angle, climbing to the edge to get the most of the background and fixing their hair in a mini mirror, so they have to do less editing later. Out of the dozens of people who took pictures, maybe one or two actually stopped and took in the view. Walking around Pompeii, our tour guide stop multiple times at the “best picture spots” allowing time for everyone to get a shot of Mount Vesuvius. In the end, the time we lost for everyone to get an Instagram worthy photo made us miss out on seeing more of the ruins.

Do not get me wrong I love pictures and social media, but are we missing out on the experience when we spend so much time worried about getting the best picture? Are we getting the full effect of the beauty when we are looking at something through a screen? Selfie sticks blocking priceless pieces of art or watching a performer through the phones held up in front of you, what are we really seeing?

Pictures are a helpful tool, we can look at them later and reminisce about the memories we made, however if all we do is take pictures, are there any actual memories being created? Experience is defined as, “practical contact, event or occurrence that leaves an impression on someone.” When I’m old I want to look back at my life and feel all the things I experienced. The sand stuck to feet as I run into the Mediterranean, the cords of Tim McGraw’s guitar when he is on stage, the tears in my eyes looking up at the Sistine Chapel. Those are the moments I want to remember, not how many likes I got on Instagram or how many comments I got on Facebook.

We have time in our lives to take as many photos and videos we want, so take a few minutes to put down your camera and actually look at something. Hike to the top of a mountain, float in the ocean, attend a play, watch fireworks, take a ferry ride, watch the sunset without your phone. Challenge yourself to actually see, feel and hear something. Go to the places you see on Pinterest or television, see it for yourself and get lost in the beauty the pictures wouldn’t capture. One day when your phone falls in water and your computer crashes you will be glad you do not need the picture to remember all the top moments of your life. The mental picture is better than any camera anyway.