September 1st, 2017. I was sitting in the stadium of the Madison Square Garden with my confused but goodhearted mother, waiting for Taeyang of Big Bang to make his grand entrance and begin the second set of his White Nights solo world tour. All around us was a sea of gold crown shaped lightsticks illuminating the hall, each buzzing with harmonic anticipation.
As the minutes ticked down, I geared up my shiny new digital camera and settled myself behind the lens. Not a second of this would go to waste.
Looking back at the footage from almost 4 years ago, I am regretful for a few reasons. First of all, the videos are terrible- with a combination of my shaky hands and various heads in the crowd blocking the view. Secondly, I feel as if I could have enjoyed the experience more if I wasn’t so focused on documenting.
With the combination of a fear of forgetting and the perceived obligation to show others once in a lifetime experiences, life has shifted from experiences worth “seeing” to those worth “recording.” This pandemic of addiction has affected many, and infected our behavior in a way that disadvantages the masses.
With social media as a vital tool in keeping contact, we must understand where to draw the line between sharing our experiences and hindering them.
The last statement is so powerful: "With social media as a vital tool in keeping contact, we must understand where draw the line between sharing our experiences and hindering them."