Are Cameras Ruining Our Memory?

There was a story on the radio today about how people are missing out on life because they're so busy filming and taking pictures of it. Some studies are being done that show we don't remember as much about events or things if we take pictures of them, unless we are closely studying the thing and taking pictures of specific parts of it.

I thought it interesting because I had just been thinking about that very possibility. Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing things because I'm always taking a video. Like at the pow wow last week, when I could barely see the dancing because I was watching it on the camera screen, or when I couldn't tell if the coconut was rotten because it didn't show up on that little rectangle. My special events have become two by two and a half inches.

I'm not really sure what to do about it, because I love having videos to share and look back at, and I want Trooper to be able to look back on them later in life and see in concrete form that he was loved and had many adventures, even if he can't remember the specifics.

But I believe that living in the present is more important than documenting the past, so I'm going to have to at least be more mindful of what's happening when I'm filming.

What do you think? As always, I'm interested in your thoughts and experiences. Please share here or email me r.a._white@hotmail.com .