Some people often tell me I take too many pictures, I shoot too many videos even in the most mundane moments, that I should just enjoy the moment without my camera or my phone. Obviously, these people aren’t my best friends because they can’t understand one of my biggest passions.
Photographing is a form of art for me and most importantly a way to remember.
I take many pictures because I’m too scared of forgetting, of not remembering the beautiful places and little things I see, the amazing people I met and how lucky I was to be able to see that beauty. But it’s not only about beauty, I love to take pictures of everything that makes me feel something, that gives me positive but also negative vibes, or even both.
Scrolling my photo gallery or Instagram travel accounts when I’m nostalgic, sad, demotivated is so helpful to me. It helps me to not forget how beautiful, intense, powerful life is.
Moreover, having all these photos on my phone makes me feel like I have memories and places with me all the time, I can always look back and appreciate moments in a less blurred way than I would do without these technologies.
I’m not jealous of my memories so I do also love to share them on social media, to show other’s what is beauty to me and what I like doing. Furthermore, I love when Instagram or Facebook remember me what I was doing the year before the same day, or even two, three, five years before, it’s like someone showing me how much I changed and grown.
Sometimes I get lost in media because I find so much inspiration, beauty, places I want to visit, advice so I can never have enough and it’s very difficult to put my phone down. But I’m working on this aspect, to maintain a healthy relationship with media without losing myself in them and to live my present fully.
I love to share on social media, more than just to watch what others are doing. If I don’t have a lot of time, instead of looking at all the stories and posts, I prefer to post or share some moments myself, rather than just passively look at what others are sharing, it just feels more productive.
Finally, I love media because they allow me to keep in touch with people I love and miss. Even if seeing someone in person is always the best option, video calling and texting with people I can’t see often anymore because I moved away to study, is still a good option.
I think I would have lost a lot of friends if media didn’t exist, not because our friendship isn’t strong enough but because I would not be part of their lives as I can be now thanks to media, even if I live 1100km away from them.
Gaia Marchioni
Why I Heart My Media 