Sunsets, disasters, dinners: we now record them all with our phones. But what is that doing to our souls?
As a war correspondent, I worked with photographers who said the camera was a buffer between them and reality. It is much the same now as we snap and scroll
TL;DR
- War correspondents and photographers historically used the camera lens as a buffer against the horrors they witnessed.
- Modern smartphone use mirrors this detachment, with people constantly recording experiences from sunsets to disasters.
- This constant recording and framing of life can lead to dangerous behaviors, such as risky driving or fatal selfies, where the camera becomes integral to the danger.
- The author argues that constant exposure to suffering through screens can desensitize individuals, turning horrific events into shareable content.
- While cameras can be tools for bearing witness to important events, for many, they offer a way to emotionally distance themselves from difficult realities.
- The act of recording allows people to be 'present but absent,' framing experiences rather than fully engaging with them.