I’m at a concert, my phone out and up, the timer on the screen showing that I’m recording. I have the perfect view… how could I not get tons of pictures and videos? After all, I want to be able to relive this night.

Six days later, I’m back at the same concert. But this time, my phone isn’t recording. In fact, I don’t even have it out. I’m not worried about capturing the moment. After all, I already had all my videos from the last week. It’s in that moment that I realize something that had never occurred to me; everyone is so busy trying to capture those memories and share them on social media, that they’re missing what’s going on in front of them. Watching something through a screen is ten times more different than actually seeing it in front of you with your own eyes and I’ll be the first to tell you that putting the phone away makes that time so much more memorable.

I was at Disney World, watching the electrical light parade. I turned to my friend, seeing her head buried in her phone, to ask her if she had just seen the Tinkerbell float that passed. Her response? “What? No, I was posting this picture on Twitter.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was our first time at Disney, and probably our last time for a good few years, and she was willing to miss this parade to post photos? That seriously couldn’t wait until we got back to the hotel? I find it ironic how often this tends to happen. You miss something that’s going on right in front of you because you’re too eager to share the moment with the internet world. People just can’t wait to let everyone know about the awesome thing that just happened that they don’t get to see the end of the moment.
There is never a time anymore that I go somewhere and don’t see someone wrapped up in their phone. People will pay hundreds of dollars to go on a vacation to do what? Post photo after photo after photo on snapchat? Here’s an idea-- how about you put the phone away and go down to the pool. I wish I could confidently say that I believe this problem won’t last forever, but at this rate, I only see it getting worse and our world is only encouraging it. The new iPhone 6s came out last fall and what was its’ main new feature? Oh, that’s right, live photo. Apple says,  “But what people love even more are the memories that are preserved within those images. Those memories are now incredibly vivid with Live Photos.” I’m sorry to break it to you, but those “live photos” won’t ever be as good as the real thing. Instead of trying to create a cool live photo to set as your wallpaper and post on Instagram, just watch what’s going on in front of you. I promise, it’s way cooler.

I’m not the only person who has noticed this epidemic happening over the past few years. Joshua Becker says in an article titled “7 Important Reasons to Unplug and Find Space” that “life, at its best, is happening right in front of you” and that “life is still about flesh, blood, and eye contact.” According to the Deseret News National, when someone spends too much time on the screen "Their neural pathways change and different ones are created. It affects concentration, self-esteem, in many cases they don’t have as deeply personal relationships. They lose empathy. We've seen kids like this that don't develop those sympathetic and empathetic skills they need.” Having your head in your phone isn’t just bad on your neck. It’s bad for the brain too!

This change has been evolving right in front of us for years. At one point in time, there were no cameras. I know, it’s crazy. How could anyone survive without a camera? Then, there were disposable cameras. One take and you’re done. You had one shot to get the photo right and if you messed up, you were stuck with it. That has lead to our world today. Taking multiple photos because “you have to get the right angle for Instagram” and “hold on, I need to take a snapchat video!”

I encourage everyone to try it just one time. Go to a concert with your phone at ten percent so you can’t be on it the whole time. After all, you’re there for the music. On your next vacation, spend the day, just exploring, without posting live on social media. Sometimes, sharing a verbal memory is better than anything a photo or video could capture.