One of the best and, depending on how you look at it, one of the worst things about our smartphones is that we now have a camera in our pocket.
It means that every moment has the potential to turn into a captured memory. But it also means that every moment may become a captured memory. See the issue?
I love having my phone camera to snap shots I want to remember and to be able to look back and reflect on what we did, where, what we ate (so many food pics). And yet, over the years, I’ve gotten better at putting down the phone more quickly so that documenting the moment doesn’t get in the way of living it. I still love grabbing a quick snap, but I try to be faster about it.
I have learned from my kids that sometimes we don’t need a photo to remember a moment. I also don’t want to feel like we are all performing for the camera when sharing a moment.
My youngest and her friends use a Polaroid camera from time to time. Instant shots that have a printout available right away. Physical media continues to be important to Gen Z it seems, and it’s true that when something is just a camera it’s easier to put it away when you’re done.
There are benefits to having photos. I try to snap some fun group photos at extended family functions that are becoming more rare. I still love having photos of my food when on vacation because my husband and I will talk about meals we've had for a long time.
Photos are storytelling, and having access to them is a wonder. But when our kids are using their phones less and looking for more analog experiences, it’s interesting to see the rise in physical media. Will the camera industry have a resurgence? It’s hard to even find places to print photos, will that create a boom?
And if all of our photos only exist in the cloud, will they truly last? Unlike physical copies, does it matter where they survive?
Of all the apps and opportunities our phones give us, the camera to me is one of the most used but also most confusing. I wonder if I should be putting it away more instead of taking the photo, but also left with the contradictory thought that it’s a blessing to be able to remember special moments for a long period of time.
I’m not sure my kids are as conflicted. They snap photos with their phones, but with less frequency in the day-to-day. When on vacation they are more likely to use it, versus just when out with pals, although one of my kids will always take time to grab photos of the cats in our lives.
As with most things with parenting and tech, I suspect this comes down to some overthinking as well. Having access to the camera doesn’t mean we have to use it. And not taking photos doesn’t mean we aren’t longing to remember the moment. Just as taking photos doesn’t mean we are missing out.
I’m happy to reflect on many of the photos we have, our own way of storytelling, in a digital age. But I also know I should print them out more to keep physically.
Read about how teens in 2017 thought about posting photos online here. It’s interesting to see which views have changed in a decade, and which haven’t!
What rules do you think you and your kids should follow around using – and sharing – photos? If you don’t have any yet, check out our tipsheet Make Household Media Rules for guidelines.
To get ahead of photo-related drama, make sure your kids have a copy of our tipsheet Help! Someone Shared a Photo of Me Without My consent!