You are at your favourite artiste's concert and instead of enjoying the performance to the fullest, you are on your phone, taking snaps, and posting videos of the concert on social media. By doing so, are you not more interested in capturing the moment, instead of living it?

One obvious factor that is driving everyone's tendency towards 'capturing the moment' is the rise of social media and smartphones along with it. Now, it is easier for any of us to instantly share photos and videos with people we know. That in turn creates a societal expectation to document anything and everything that is going on with us at any given moment. What we see on social media does not give us the whole picture; we only see the best glimpses of it yet that is how most people perceive the 'whole picture'.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking pictures to hold onto memories so that we can go back and look at them, or to preserve something that holds a special value in people's life. However, as satisfying as taking photographs can be, there are also certain situations when it can be more of a hindrance.

If a concert is already very enjoyable then overly prioritising taking photos can put a dent to the otherwise special experience. If you are at a meditation event and feel the need to post updates of your session instead of being attentive to it, then you are certainly not prioritising the right things.

Several studies have pointed out that taking photos only for the use of social media is detrimental to one's enjoyment of a given moment as it diverts attention from the present.

So, why not strike a balance? Instead of choosing to capture anything, be selective about it and only choose those moments that are uniquely beautiful to you. Take notice of your surroundings, look around, and feel your emotions. Hear the sounds that are captivating you which will ultimately enhance your perception of any significant moment. And lastly, enjoy the moment for yourself, do not worry about how good it will look good on social media or how to be the first to post something — you can always have time for that later.