During my family vacation to Venice, Italy, I had a realization about Americans’ excessive picture taking and use of social media. While watching a gondola battle a storm, I noticed the way people reacted to the situation.
The gondola swayed from side to side against the choppy current as sheets of raindrops pelted down. A brave family embarking on this unpleasant journey was bundled in water-saturated raincoats. The mom clutched onto her inverted umbrella which was whisked away like an uncontrollable kite. The dad gripped onto his cowboy hat, fighting the wind, which was as strong as an invisible hand tugging relentlessly at his precious belonging.
Tourists surrounded the family — snapping photographs for their Instagram posts or Facebook newsfeeds.
“Take a picture of me by the gondola!” a teenage girl said to her father.
Her father stood snapping photos for a minute, with the girl rejecting many until she received the perfect shot. I stood near this girl, but was more interested in watching the excitement in the family’s faces as the gondolier made his way back to safety.
My hand reached for my camera. I, too, had the urge to take the perfect photo, but resisted.
I reflected on this surreal moment and I appreciated the beauty of the storm’s magnitude without using my phone. I realized to fully enjoy my family trip to Venice, it would benefit me to experiment without using my camera or social media daily. The gondola scene made me realize by not using my camera, I would enjoy my experience and surroundings abroad by remaining present in the moment.
My experiment without social media, my selfie stick and Sony RX 100 was a choice I made to better enjoy my vacation — the people, places and nature around me — as I tried to stay and become part of the present moment.
Every time I considered grabbing my phone, I convinced myself I was enjoying the scenery too much to ruin the beautiful moment with a picture.
This made me start questioning: How many people actually live in the moment when they go on vacation? Better yet, how many people live in the moment during their daily activities?
According to the website Digital Trends, “Considering that the average American is awake for just over 15 hours a day (seeing as we sleep for an average of eight hours and 42 minutes), this means that we spend approximately a third of our time on our phones. Sure, using your smartphone isn’t mutually exclusive with completing other activities, but still, 4.7 hours is a significant chunk of the day.”
How are we supposed to live life to its fullest if we are spending 4.7 hours a day scrolling through our feeds, posting pictures or tweeting? This statistic demonstrates how the average American is lacking the mindful experience and ignoring the inclination to see things as they truly are.
There are many benefits to living in the moment. It allows us to connect with our senses —smell the aromas around us, people watch, listen to chatter and pay attention to small details.
Remember, yesterday is gone, today is here and tomorrow is unknown. Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to a single task in the present.
Living for today is essential in order to enjoy nature’s beauty. We always have a fear of missing out, but the irony is that people miss out on things by their enthrallment with social media. We always try to capture the perfect moment, but instead, we are missing out on the moment itself.
I challenge Lehigh students to take time out of their days and suggest that you put away your phone for 15 minutes.
As spring approaches, take notice of the bulbs blooming, flowers blossoming, the wind blowing and the warm sun shining on your face. Take a walk and pay attention to how you feel around nature. You will be amazed at what you will see without distractions. Documenting your spring break trip is always fun, but take a moment to feel your feet sink into the sand and take in the scenery around you.
This challenge is attempting to bring every moment’s attention to your daily activities and trying to balance your physical and mental experiences. Take time off from schoolwork and social media, and practice living in the present. Whether it is on spring break or walking around Lehigh’s campus, be mindful and fully appreciate life without technology’s distractions.
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Lauryn Ragone, ’17, is an associate news editor for The Brown and White. She can be reached at [email protected].
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