With the growing culture of living in the modern world coupled with the steadfast use of the internet, a debate has risen on living in the moment versus reminiscing on the comforts of the past. Division is created between those who stay in the present by living an unplugged life while others choose to document their lives to capture memories.
Freshman Mariana Louie prefers being present in the current time, taking life with a forward mindset.
“I prefer living in the moment because it makes me feel more productive. If I look back on the past, I feel like I’m just reminiscing on something that is already over,” Louie said.
While some agree that enjoying the present is beneficial, Wellness Coordinator Lauri Macey believes reminiscing helps remind herself of her importance.
“In times when it is dark and hard (and) I don’t feel good, I remember that somebody loved me once,” Macey said. “That makes me feel better. It makes me think that somebody could love me again in the future.”
Louie balances the past with the present by picking and choosing what she wants to focus on.
“I feel that when I look back on the past too much, especially if it was not a good memory to look back on, I just want to ignore it,” Louie said. “It depends much on the memory I choose to look back on. It’s a love-like relationship with it.”
Some, like freshmen Deegan Wahler, have noticed that documenting and sharing their memories on social media help store and share past events.
“I think any social media app is a good way to capture memories, especially if you post them. You can look back at your highlights or posts, which makes you reminisce and feel how good that day or that week (was),” Wahler said.
Like Wahler, senior Kaleya Garcia uses social media to chronicle her life and share experiences. She mentioned how media platforms give her the freedom to post moments with her family and friends as an online memory diary, as well as build nostalgia during important moments.
“(Posting) allows me to show people how me and my friends are, and it just shows genuine moments that I think are fun to share,” Garcia said. “I am glad I started my digital account this year because as a senior, I feel like there are really important events that I want to always remember, so capturing those moments is important to me.”
Although social media can serve as a tool for holding onto cherished moments, Wahler emphasized the importance of setting boundaries between time spent on one’s phone and time spent with friends in real life.
“I think that they are distracted or not as interested with you as they are with whoever they are talking to (on social media),” Wahler said.
Agreeing with Wahler, sophomore Emmalee Chan shared advice on what she thinks friends should do during hangouts and when spending time together.
“Just get off your phone. You aren’t going to always have the same friends. You aren’t always gonna have the same experiences,” Chan said. “Living in the moment helps you experience everything instead of looking back on it and having to scoop it all up.”
No matter which lifestyle individuals choose, Macey shared the importance of staying true to oneself.
“Everything that you’ve done, everything that you have tried, everything that has happened to you made you who you are right now,” Macey said. “It is valuable because who you are right now is probably someone who is pretty great, and you are heading for somebody better. Take all those lessons with you and go down (your) path.”