Let’s imagine you managed to get tickets to the Taylor Swift Eras concert. Or you just had the most exhilarating party of your life with your friends. Or you just experienced the loudest “Leave America” at Harry Styles concert. Yet, your gallery has no trace of these events. If you feel a squirmy, uncomfortable feeling creeping up your chest right now — Don’t worry, you are probably just like millions of others in the world.
A societal phenomenon is happening— the mass practice of the concept “post it or it didn’t happen”. Instagram, BeReal, Facebook, Tiktok, Snapchat, Locket — the list goes on. The profusion of choices to document our lives on is incredibly crazy. The act of filming and posting every moment — big and small, have become so normalized and routine. It is now those who do not do so who are peculiar and out-of-norm.
This begs the question — what is the factor behind this mass collective effort that contributed to this societal phenomenon? Teachers and educators try to inculcate in us certain values or behaviors to adopt — yet some of these efforts still go down the drain. Strangely, the notion of “post it or it didn’t happen” is instilled in us without any deliberate teachings, as if it’s an innate part of us.
Perhaps we should take one step back in viewing this matter. Let’s go back to why we first feel the urge and need to record down every moment. It could have originated from a fear of losing a memory — as if the only way that we will be able to relive and remember that particular moment is through a permanent version of it in the form of a photo or video. This could have formulated the base of “film it or it didn’t happen”. How did this escalate to the next level of “post it or it didn’t happen” then?
The significance of a virtual identity in this day and age definitely played a role in this, in one way or another. We curate a certain identity and ideal version of us — through what we post, who we follow, what we do on social media. Subconsciously, we are aware that our virtual identity is not inconsequential. It determines a certain proportion of one’s perception of us—and if I dare say, a huge one. The 8 second first impression rule might no longer be based on the first 8 seconds one lies their eyes on you, but when they lie their eyes on your social media page. The accessibility and proliferation of the internet has made social media the most efficient way to assess one’s personality and vibe. The power we have to control this personality and vibe we have on social media intensifies the notion of “post it or it didn’t happen” in us. Hence, the rise of this social phenomenon is par for the cause.
This leads us to the next question — is it a bad thing? It is a tangible version of a moment that allows you to revisit and relive all the joy in that moment. It allows you to romanticize your life. It might force you to go out of your comfort zone to do things you do not normally do in order to have something to post. It allows you to connect and share. The list goes on. Yet, there are two sides to every problem. The obsession with the perfection of a photo or video, the compulsive nature to get a snapshot of everything — could really ruin a moment. The pressure whether one will be able to remember this moment perfectly through a photo or video, or whether it will be seen by others, could cause one to neglect the sole reason that the moment is even photo-worthy or insta-worthy. Social media is known to be a facade — it is a space where people post about the highs, and not so much of the lows. This has created a societal pressure to constantly post about doing something interesting, something exciting. Our obsession of recording and posting has also created a subconscious obsession in some to ensure there’s something happening in our life — it creates inferiority in solitude and down time.
The list of cons could go on, just as it can for the list of pros. It is hard to find a healthy balance to fully utilize social media’s benefits. Perhaps a change in mindset would allow us to adopt a healthier behavior towards recording and posting: It is okay to be doing nothing, it is okay not to capture every moment, it is okay to do something exciting and not post it. Moving forward, I believe regular self-reflection and self-questioning would prevent us from going deeper into the sinkhole of “post it or it didn't happen”.
Written by: Tay Jil-Lene
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