Technology is Great, but Are We Forgetting to Live?
Imagine you're at a concert where your favorite band is playing for the last time. Or you're watching President Obama get sworn into office. Or maybe you're just sitting around with your family under the Christmas tree watching your children open gifts. What are you doing in all those scenarios? If you're like most people today, you're probably recording it with some sort of technological gadgetry, be it a smartphone, digital camera, or camcorder. You might also be sharing the moment with others across the web via Twitter, Facebook, or FriendFeed.
Our Recorded Lives
Thanks to technology, we never have to forget any experience of our lives. We can snap photos, annotate them, and share them with others instantly. We can archive them to the timeless web for posterity. And maybe one day, our great-great-grandkids can pursue our social network profiles in the cached pages of Internet Archive and learn everything we ever wanted the world to know about us.
And yes, that's great. It's amazing, really. But what about us and the lifetime we spent recording these things? Did we waste our lives documenting them and forget to live?
A great example of people missing the moment
With technology having progressed to the point where it's nearly effortless to use, we've begun to integrate it into our lives in ways that have never been done before. No longer is the computer this appliance that connects you to a web of slow-loading pages. No, today's web - our global brain - is pocket-sized and accessible from anywhere.*
Photos (and now videos) can immediately be published from device to web thanks to ingenious creations like Eye-Fi's wireless SD card, a technology that makes our real life just another feed of content for the ubiquitous pages of the ever-expanding web. A web whose very creation may represent humanity's attempt to understand the concept of our universe. For how will tomorrow's web be described? It's a entity that has no beginning** and no end; it's an ever-expanding repository for all (digital) life.
Forgetting to Live
As we progress through our short span here on this planet, living our lives and documenting them along the way, we may be forgetting...for moments at least...how to actually live. And living, like it or not, means that sometimes we need to disconnect, put the camera down, and enjoy a moment for once.
Jane Maynard of Silicon Valley Moms reminds us that this is now a common issue for everyone, not just technophiles. As she writes about watching her children perform at a concert, she describes the problem: "Cameras. I actually struggle a bit with this issue myself. In an attempt to document the wonderful things happening, sometimes life itself gets missed. You know, like watching your child's piano recital through a video camera viewfinder rather than with your own eyes. It's a tricky balance I'm sure we all think about and deal with, especially in this digital age. I make myself put my camera away sometimes, no matter how badly I want to record something, so I can live in the moment as it happens. I never regret those times...[but] these observations gave me pause. How often am I so focused on the perfect shot with my kids that I miss the moment?"
When Should You Disconnect?
The fine line between what's worth documenting and what's not is a hard one to define. We immediately assume that the most important, the biggest, the most incredible moments are those that should be recorded. But it's these very moments that are best to experience live, with our full focus.
As religious-focused blogger Martin Kelley notes, "there are times where our presence is much more important than any documentation." (He had just surprised himself by reviewing the grainy, blurry photos he felt it necessary to take while watching a bride walk down the aisle. In retrospect, this was exactly the kind of moment that could have gone unrecorded.)
"Stop trying to live your own life vicariously. You're already there. You don't need to prove anything," says Kat Orphanides, while watching people recording a band's show instead of enjoying the music. In reality, it's easier said than done. But if you've ever felt a twinge of tech-induced guilt when you unplug from the web (how can I not Twitter what I just saw? Ooh, I need to take a picture of this!), then you're bordering on having merged completely with the machine. Maybe it's time to remind yourself that it's OK to just live - well, at least sometimes. You may not have proof of everything you experienced in your amazing life, but that life might be a more fulfilling one in the end.
* Obviously, these statements refer to the parts of the world where modern technology like smartphones and broadband are common. The entire world does not have access to these things. I know.
** The very first web page is here, but it's only designated as a "web" page because it is hyperlinked to other pages using HTML markup. So was it really the first? Or did it spring into existence at the same time as the others? Is it really the beginning of the web?
Image Credits: Taking Photos - flickr user Mike "Dakinewavamon" Kline; Obama - soupsoup.tumblr.com; children's concert - Silicon Valley Moms
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Great post as usual Sarah.
I think the fact that I noticed some tweets and FB status updates slowing down while Obama was speaking shows that some people were remembering to live.
http://bit.ly/KcmO
Etan
gospel, perez. people need to chill out and stop thinking that everyone will want to see THEIR video of obama. i think the constant documentation and resultant posting is a selfish attempt for notoriety ("look at where i was! look what i saw! aren't you jealous?!?!"). relax and just experience.
POST OF GREAT VALUE!
DOWN TO EARTH
THANKS!!!
Thanks for writing this, Sarah. This is something that I've often pondered about and I'm glad somebody wrote about it.
As I delve deeper and deeper into technology, I often feel more removed from reality. Ironic because part of the reason for diving deeper into the technology is to capture reality. Technology is quickly replacing our own brain's memory functions. It's also robbing us of fully experiencing the moment. When I see people putting so much effort into capturing moments using their phones, uploading to Flickr, twittering, etc. I wonder if they're more excited about the sharing of the experience than they are the actual experience.
Totally agree. With everything moving to the web or into digital format, it's going to get increasingly more difficult to separate our lives from technology. I remember seeing my parents read the newspaper every morning. Soon that's going to be replaced with RRW and The Huffington Post. (no offense! :) )
OOoo I've got to email this post to all my friends!
This kinda of article really speaks to the "Get off my lawn crowd". You just have to do things in moderation. If a person picks up their camera to take a shot for maybe 2-3 songs and then puts it away, great. They captured the moment. It's different when a person is there for the whole set taking 100 + photos and videos and they aren't a pro that's usually in the pit.
When the selfish, money grubbing or glory hound photographers that document these events give their photos/videos to the public for free without strings attached to what is done with it, then we can stop documenting these events for ourselves. Unfortunately, look at the howls of protests from these people if you use their photos/videos without jumping through their hoops.
For more private occasions, I agree we should be more selective about time taken away from living to document it. I’m still trying to get that balance right between just enjoying the special moments and documenting them. There are some birthdays for my kids I don’t have a single picture. And others I have way too many.
Yes, especially in the tech geek world. I love the tools and connecting with others, but there is a limit. Sometimes you have to disconnect yourself from computer, phone, etc and just live your life. Go out for a walk, enjoy an experience with friends whatever it may be. Enjoy life. There is life outside of the internet, too many people forget that.
@7... no, it speaks to the 'must... lifestream... 24x7' crowd. And the new technology just highlights this really. About 10 years ago I was in Italy and making a second visit to the Accademmia in Florence to see the David (the one outside is a copy). The David is an amazing sculpture... and there was a Japanese guy walking through the entire place, eye glued to his video camera viewfinder. He forgot that the reason he was there was to see one of the world's most sublime works of art. He forgot to LIVE.
There's nothing wrong with snapping the occasional shot on your cell or tweeting something, but Sarah nails it here... we've gone overboard on the lifestreaming stuff and forgotten it's about the life, not the streaming.
Hey! This has become quite the conversation topic on Twitter (Thx Reggie). It's interesting to read all the responses and reactions. Here's my POV, as written to Patrick Norton, who spread the article around a bunch:
I'm somewhere in the middle of the road, where I do enjoy preserving a snapshot of my own perspective in that moment... something I can happily reflect on later. To be fair, though - I agree w/ the author in the sense that to really experience the moment requires one's full attention, but I don't think the caption of the photo was entirely correct: "A great example of people missing the moment"... That is pretty extreme.
As an afterthought -- I can't say I've ever regretted having a photo. But there are events like CES, where it was my sole reason for being there to take photos, videos, and share.... I feel that I really missed the full experience of CES. I barely got to visit any booths or learn about new gadgets on my own.
So at the end of this conversation reading both angles, I think I'll still stick with "balance is key"... :)
Thanks for the article!
Susan Sontag wrote about this topic in "On Photography." The joke was about people traveling to take pictures, but not living in the moment. While many supported her position, some felt she was against photography. This is a tough area to talk about. You cannot judge someone's experience; even though you can reject or accept it for oneself.
@Marilee: It was definitely interesting to watch this conversation on Twitter - and thanks for the RT, btw - So many people weighing in! For the record, I sort of wrote this to remind myself that disconnecting is OK. I am guilty of uber-connectivity at times. Haven't decided if it's all that healthy.
Good post - one of my new year's resolutions is to have a "weekly no technology night" which means putting anything powered by electricity away to do something else. It's been surprisingly difficult, as evidenced by how I *still* haven't started it yet in earnest. This post reminded me to get back on the ball -- Next week for sure!
Great post as usual Sarah and takes me to a conversation I was just having the pre-holidays with my very "non-tech" friends (they don't even have a cell phone)about how there are moments when I'm with them out in the woods or checkin out a new band or just hangin, I'm very checked out from my tech life (cell phone off, laptop at home, etc..) and that sometimes, that's just so nice and recharges the batteries for a new day of twitter, facebook, email, rss feeds, and whatever else fits into the day. They of course look at me like I'm talking Greek when I say this. :)
@Sarah Perez - As you've done for yourself, I think that everyone has to decide for themselves what a healthy level of documenting vs. disconnecting is. My friend, @maubrowncow said that "Nobody can measure/judge other's enjoyment" and I agree with this. It's nice that your article has inspired a lot of people to look at their own behavior and modify if needed. Moreso, people will hopefully become aware of how a camera constantly turned on can affect the experience of others.
I also am guilty of uber-connectivity (term coined by you!) -- I love documenting my experiences, but also enjoy days offline... and I'm totally ok with this. :)
Dennis Ashendorf's comment (#12) sums it up well.
Just this day - when I was out riding a thought struck me at this same theme. The human memory is limited and that is for a reason - this is being challenged. Now we document so much of our lives and we are not so presence at all times. But we are fine with that because we can always get back to moments (through our digital footprints or others footprints) and then we can experience the moment again and at that time with a couple of comments from people around our digital presence.
Of course I agree with you that we should live and take down our mobile, computer, camera etc. But we don't - it is in our behaviour and it will become a more natural part of life. Who knows in the future all that we registrer in our brains can wireless be transferred to the net...or why just directly to our networks brains.
/Caroline Karlstrom
Sarah,
You are absolutely right...just look and absorb... share it with ur brain instead of your friends.. The memory becomes much more private and valuable...
-Aad
Absolutely true. Although I enjoy always being connected to Twitter and surfing the web, there comes a time that you need to stop and enjoy the moment. If you're going away for the weekend, leave your laptop at home and have conversations with people in front of you. Going on a night out with friends? Go Twitter dark and let your followers marvel that next morning about the night before.
The basic advice, that you expressed so well here, is this: don't let the technology replace the potential of real life conversing.
Thanks for that wonderful post, Sarah. Just popped in to say that I gaped at the thought that someone would video their child's piano recital. Clearly a person who's never given one themselves and doesn't realise kids don't want to relive their mistakes, thanks!! Brrrr.
I have felt like this about technology since my twenty-something children made their first communions, since my own wedding actually. But there is a happy medium between the 'against photography' stance and videoing all performances for posterity, or for brag value.
The funny thing about blogging about something that is not as immanent as technology, for example about books and writing, is that while it opens up writing opportunities for the blogger, it also requires them to return to reading and occasionally evaluate their relationship to technology anyway (yep, I'm a book blogger). I have had some very interesting conversations with writers about this since beginning blogging in 2005. There are situations where the thought of a potential audience can enhance creativity rather than destroy personal history, I think.
But wonderful post, and it will be good to see the feedback.
The people who deeply in technology will identify themselves with the article you mentioned,we really missing real life time experinces .There is lot of real time enjoyment on real life ,we are just sticking to machines and gadgets,when we get out of it and enjoy real life happenings who hardly knows.
What a wonderful article. Here we spend hours "socializing" on the net and forget the true meaning of socializing. Giving someone a real hug or taking their hand and consoling them.If we do not take the time for human contact, then the world will be sure a lonely place.For me personally all this information nowadays makes my head spin, it is too much and not necessary. It keeps us from living. I have to take myself by my nose i.e. watching several videos on the new president dancing with his wife to "At Last", instead I should be grateful that I have the chance to even watch just one.
Thank you for sharing this article.
Great article really in this technological world we have lost the sense of living as we keep on taking photographs and the moment just passes away just to see it rearwards we
just capture mobile phones spoil movies and lunch we talk hours and hours and mails while we are eating and sleeping
in this technological world we have lost our existence and peace and we have forgotten to live moments while busy capturing them
Well...Arguably it may be right. However, one can "NOT" undermine the relevance, ease and effectiveness of online social networking.
Its if way more effective to keep in touch and socialize with friends and contacts. Not to mention its very cost effective too ;)
I could not agree more.
It is truly getting over the top ridiculous when you can't just enjoy your life and special occasions, but have to record and "facebook it" to show off to your 489 "friends" what an amazing life you have. I think it's quite sad, frankly.
The ease what we had is far less than the restlessness we are getting now people are talking about orkuts facebooks
by which productiveness have gone worse and people are busy putting up their videos and further more not to say people are busy watching videos people rather than enjoying the moment by going there keep watching it on videos
so i suppose cost is not only the matter the magic moments which are lost are lost for ever while we keep on trying to capture thats what a news channel reporter does as he has got a job to do not we just to post it on you tube we just forget we are here to enjoy
It's refreshing to see such words in the middle of the over-extrovert social-media-me frenzy that seems to govern the web.
A really great post.
I simply wanted to tell you how much I appreciate this article and stress how true it is...and has been for years. My favorite comment to my family as we traveled and they took pictures was "Stop trying to get a picture and simply enjoy." Too often they never lived the moment. It seems a necessity for so many to try to record for others (in a poor substitution) what they were supposed to be enjoying, but were missing. And the 'others' don't really care.
Thanks for this post. I sometimes have to remind myself that it's more important to experience life than to record it.
This article truly suits me. Sometimes when i'm with my friends, then always it is me with camera. and belive me it feels so awkward, that you can't smile like your friends.
and it fills my heart with contempt....
But anyways thanks for this article....[:)]
There's definitely a balance that must be struck between living in the moment and recording it. But for photo hobbyists like myself, the recording itself is part of the experience. It's not just a way to say "I was here."
I couldn't help it. I gots screws loose. http://twitpic.com/16byf
its interesting b/c people (myself included) do feel the need to document all those "big" moments in life, but i've found more pleasure lately in documenting the small moments; just carrying my camera around with me and taking photos of things i walk by every day on my way to work, out at the store, etc. give a new perspective on the everyday, makes me stop and look at things that i pass by everyday without noticing.
A book called "Snow Crash" talked about this phenomena around 20 years ago. They called it being a Gargoyle. Good Read.
I now become agitated when I noticed people spending more time "connected" (to cameras, phones, the net) than connected to something we are both actively doing. Often, your reducing the quality of the event by recording it.
Great article.
I find myself in this dilemma anytime I go to my kids school shows. I attempt to believe that the recording is meant to remind of the event and allow me to enjoy with my own eyes
Not only do we need to stop documenting every moment of our life, we need to put down our cell phones and start being fully present when we are spending time with our family and friends.
Thanks for the great article.
I've been aware of this phenomena and frustrated with myself for doing exactly that. So what did I do with your blog? Posted it to Twitter! Sigh. Hard to get the horse back in the barn....
As a 57-year old who has only made it as far as Web 1.75 (I have one of those Twitter-thingies, but just don't know what to do with it)I am conflicted.
By the time I get to Web 2.0, this retro movement back to the "good old days" of living in the moment and being with the one you're with, will be passing me going the other direction.
Geeesh...I'll never catch up.
Some people just take pictures to show their friends "I was there". More for their own ego and to show off than to remember the moment.
no, we're just not there yet..
..our merging with the machine grows more obvious now, that's all
in the Future, with something like Clatter (http://www.doktorsleepless.com/index.php/Clatter), everything we see will be uploaded directly from our eyes.. there'll be not a single thought given to it, it will be how we live
and that's just over the horizon.. who knows what lies beyond that.
also, who says our lives are short?
The key is to learn when it is crucial to capture a personal viewpoint, and when sharing a global viewpoint will be fine. 80 camera phones to photograph Barack Obama onstage - That's something that 80 people could better leave in the hands of the photographer of the event. But each of those 80 people should make sure they take a personal picture of themselves in swank attire.
Of course, this relies on being able to share those pictures (am I going to be able to get a copy of the recital video? If not, I'd better set up my own camera).