One of the most memorable artists to perform on the stage in 2022’s Ipselenti—Jiya Hamsung was PSY. During his performance, he made one request to the crowd—to take their phones away and enjoy the moment. Taking photos and videos of almost everything, everywhere is typical behavior for those technologically adept in modern society. However, the obsession with taking photos deters their true meaning and value. Ironically, while there are records of every single moment, nothing is truly left at the end of the day.
Whenever a dish is served at a restaurant, it is unacceptable to immediately start eating as taking photos prior to eating has become mandatory. During bridal showers and birthday parties, it is necessary to take as many photos as possible of every single moment. When traveling to new places, the entire trip focuses on capturing everything one does, eats, and sees. In the status quo, so many experiences revolve around a single motive and objective—taking nice photos. After all, as the old Korean phrase goes, photos are the only thing that lasts.
The obsession with taking photos can be explained in accordance with the increased significance of social media, especially Instagram. Instagram is mainly based on visual content rather than written text; therefore, it encourages users to actively engage in sharing photos and videos with others. Taking nice photos to upload as stories which are photos and videos that disappear 24 hours after posting, or posts is almost a daily task for Instagram users. Nice photos in this context would refer to those that spark active reactions from followers in the form of likes, comments, and direct messages.
However, taking random photos only to share with others goes against the fundamental purpose of photo-taking—capturing moments that truly matter. Photos are a concrete form of memory as they last over time while memories eventually fade away. Before the whole Instagram frenzy and photo obsession, photos were considered records of one’s personal history, encapsulating moments worthy of being remembered and cherished. Nowadays, though, people only take photos that are considered worthy of being shared with others. They are no longer personal records, but products presented to the public. Photos no longer hold value by themselves; their values are only determined after being shared with others.
Another problem is that while photos are supposed to preserve precious moments in most cases, one is distracted from fully enjoying the moment through taking photos. Busy obtaining the picture of the day and posting it on social media, it is easy to miss out on the actual experience. According to the journal “How the Intention to Share Can Undermine Enjoyment: Photo-Taking Goals and Evaluation of Experiences”, written by Alixandra Barasch, Gal Zauberman, and Kristin Diehl, taking photos lowers the engagement and excitement of an experience. Essentially, taking photos for the purpose of presenting it to others may lead to missing out on the moments you attempt to preserve.
It would be better to become someone who actually lives the moment, instead of taking random, meaningless photos that take away the moment. By reducing taking photos to only the bare minimum, you may learn to fully appreciate precious moments you were missing out on. Ideally, photos are merely a tool to help you remember; they should not be the purpose of any action or experience. At the end of the day, the best way to cherish a moment is not through the lens of a camera—it is through one’s eyes.