As the concert starts, music is blasting and all eyes are on the performer. But, are they really?

Instead, people’s eyes are fixed to their phone screens as they document the concert for social media. It seems more and more people are focused on taking videos and pictures of moments instead of experiencing them.

Social media is ever-present and is a constant presence throughout the day, every day. People live through their posts and spend time maintaining their image to their followers. Social interaction has turned into FaceTime, face-to-face conversations have turned into texts and people live through their lens. While some people feel strongly that pictures and videos carry memories, others believe they should live in the moment and put their phones away.

“I miss moments while documenting others. My family could be pointing out a beautiful rainbow and I would miss it because I was too busy documenting the pretty hills I see every time we drive past,” said Vista del Lago freshman Anna Wickenhiser. 

“Instead of enjoying the experience, you’re looking at your phone and not really being in the moment,” said freshman Kaitlyn Deibler. “[However] I think it helps me remember an experience to video it because I can look back on those moments later,” Deibler said.

According to a poll by Common Sense Media, 50 percent of teens feel addicted to their phones and 59 percent of parents said their teens are addicted. If half of teens feel an addiction to their devices, then this must cause people to lose memories and forget about important events. The poll also said that “77 percent of parents feel their children get distracted by their devices and don’t pay attention when they are together at least a few times per week,” according to CNN.

“I feel like if I don’t film I might forget it. When I film I am able to go back & watch those memories kind of like home videos but in our case, everyone can see them,” said YouTuber Channon Rose. In this case, Channon Rose’s YouTube channel has over a million subscribers and her documentation of moments has entertained audiences for many years.  

Whether capturing these moments helps someone remember a moment better or distracts someone from an event — or both — it is assured that events will continue to be well-covered in video and photography