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Last week I went to a well-known museum in my city. I was expecting to indulge in an immersive experience, but my view was blocked by a sea of smartphones taking pictures of the artifacts. And when I did manage to find a bit of space in the premises, I was surrounded by people taking selfies to create a lasting memory of their visit.

It has become a common sight now.

This makes one wonder whether we are really relishing the moment or are only clicking pictures for the sake of it?

Why do we keep clicking photos?

We have become obsessed with clicking pictures. Is it to preserve a memory? Is it to impress someone?

A cup of tea in the morning.

A selfie in the elevator.

A random book you read.

A blurry sunset.

At every other instant, we pull out our phones to take a picture. Post them on social media.

And then you might never look at that photo again.

It gets lost somewhere between the screenshots and reminders.

But you still took it. You had to.

The Golden Memories

There was a time when we clicked a few pictures with our handy camera. Then, there was the excitement of developing the roll. Finally, those handful of photos were pasted in a decorated album.

We could only hope the pictures turned out fine, because there were no second chances. No one wanted to waste the film.

The photos were few but eventful. They reminded us of the special moments in our lives.

This was before the age of Photoshop, image enhancing, and Snapchat filters.

Snapping and Sharing Photos

Today we have formed the habit of taking multiple pictures till we get the perfect one.

We mindlessly snap and store hundreds of photos from a day out - documenting every little detail.

Then the photos are shared within multiple groups or posted on every social media platform.

According to the Social Times, which covers the world of social media, the average number of photos posted per second on Instagram is 810, Facebook 4500, and Snapchat over an astounding 8800. That is roughly 70 million to 760 million photos posted per day on these sites. And there were probably more photos taken than posted.

Are We Sacrificing the Moment?

Most of the time, selfies and other pictures posted on the gram create a distorted self-identity based on the image we want to portray in public.

Taking photos of the event rather than being immersed in it leads to poorer recall of the actual event later.

Instead of obsessing over a perfect snap of the sunset, why not take a pause, look at the colours in the sky, feel the wind touching your face, listen to the sounds of the distant birds and watch the descending sun?

So the next time you are at an art gallery or on a nature trip, do take a moment to look up and experience it all. Living the moment is not a bad idea. What do you think?