Pause the Pictures: Finding a balance between taking photos for social media and making memories is important

After spending two minutes leaning towards the camera and tilting my head in front of a brightly colored homecoming backdrop, I grabbed my phone and scoured through my camera roll. Interacting with my friends at the after party could wait. I had to make sure that one of the 523 photos I took was Insta-worthy.

But none were up to my standards. Sure, they could be cute — if my eyes were open wider, my hair and my cheeks weren’t so puffy. 

It’s like the hour I spent by my mirror curling my hair and dabbing in eyeliner never happened. I’d been looking forward to dancing with my friends at homecoming for weeks, but my entire night was ruined because my stomach was bloated and the golden hour lighting on the golf course made me look orange. All of the confidence I had when I arrived shattered with a few hundred clicks of an iPhone camera. 

I can’t help thinking: Why do I look like this in pictures? Why can’t I be more photogenic?

And I don’t only think this during school dances. From birthday bashes to family vacations, I bite my nails in anticipation of how I’ll look on camera. I’ve had countless girls nights and dinner outings turn into a photo op — and I’m sick of meeting with people for an excuse to take photos. 

The real question is, why do I even care? Cracking jokes and laughing at cringy movies with my friends is far more important than snapping photos in someone’s basement. My parents are right when they say that teens should be more present. 

I’m tired of using outings with friends as an excuse to take photos — let’s all agree that memories are more important.

But today, it’s practically a requirement to post any major event on Instagram. So I practice my smile in the mirror, poking at my face and critiquing my double chin. When my heart is racing on the treadmill or my arms are shaking from another round of weights, I remind myself that it’ll make me look better on Instagram. My 1300 followers need to see me at my best.

But even after all of that, I’ll waste more time scrolling through the hundreds of photos that I spent 30 minutes taking and hate how I look in every single one of them. 

Sure, I look forward to the ego boost I get from reading Instagram comments. But is the hour of snapping and editing photos worth reading “cute!” or “so pretty”… do they even mean it? I’m making my experiences look enjoyable on social media, but in reality I spend way too much time getting two photos I actually like instead of placing bets on who will win in Mario Kart with my friends or dancing to ABBA music. 

Taking photos isn’t the memory-retention tool you think it is. Snapping too many photos can actually harm your brain’s ability to retain memories, according to npr.org. With every click of a camera, we either offload the responsibility of remembering moments or we’re so distracted by taking a picture that we miss the moment all together. Instead of living in the moment, you’re relying on your phone to do it for you.

Besides, centering your evening around taking photos isn’t even enjoyable. Some of the best memories I have aren’t photographed — late night drives blasting Taylor Swift, being thrown off a tube with my friends and losing my voice on the sidelines while cheering. It’s OK to spend a night with friends without taking a single photo. I mean, why not actually live the life your followers think you have?

I’m not saying don’t take photos at all — I love scrolling through my camera roll and seeing photos that spark memories of slumber parties and journalism trips. It’s OK to capture memories with the people you love. But you have to prioritize spending time with friends or family in the moment — don’t waste all of your time untucking your hair or fine tuning an Instagram-worthy outfit. Snap a few photos to remember the moment (if you want), then tuck your phone away.