thoughts #9: (re)living experiences.

let's talk about experiences. i've read somewhere before that Gen Y today are spending more on experiences rather than materialistic things to own because it gives a higher sense of fulfillment and happiness to a person. as someone who falls into the category of the Gen Y kids, i fully relate. i find less joy in mindlessly shopping for clothes or even food. though spending on gigs, concerts, theater performances and traveling can be a lot more burdensome than the usual spendings, i definitely think it's more worth it for me to invest in experiences than physical objects. i love spending time (whether with friends or alone) especially at a gig.

here's the question of the day: how does Gen Y/the millennials actually live out these experiences?

my recent experience at The Sam Willows' concert in The Bee, Publika, gave me a very interesting perspective on the way people are experiencing things today. because i was standing at the side, i was able to observe the audience's reactions from time to time. typically, as an Asian audience, most of the crowd fell into the category of being conservative and rather reserved at a concert, even though most of them were probably in their early/mid-twenties. when the beat dropped, i could only see a handful of people dancing and jumping, whereas most of the crowd simply stood still. it's not wrong--maybe they just wanted to soak in the moment and listen to the music fully--everyone has their own style when enjoying a live musical experience.

of course, other than this phenomenon, there was also the inexplicable incident of the phone cameras.

aka the concert through your camera's lenses. (photo from Mashable)

now, before i move on, i need to say this: my personal pet peeve is when someone records ALL of the concert--like when every song comes on, this person would just put up their device and literally record every single song. that being said, i hardly ever tell people off in concerts unless their behaviour really bothers me, so for those of you who want to snapchat or instagram the moment, go ahead. i'm not condemning anyone's behaviour. this is just my personal preference.

however, the sight of at least half the crowd raising up hands with lit-up phones made me think of how people used to enjoy live performances. there was no chance of reliving an experience, because camcorders costed way too much back in the day, and phones were only used to call people or at most, simple texts. if you were lucky enough to have a friend who owned a camera or better yet, a Polaroid, that was the only way of capturing the moment. in present day, our phones are so much more powerful than computers which date back from just a decade ago, and almost every single person on the street is holding a device capable of recording and capturing images of everyday life, allowing us to relive our day-to-day experiences.

so, i have two questions:

1. do we actually even relive those experiences? what difference does it make?
2. with this kind of technology, do we, by the slightest chance, appreciate and cherish memories a little bit less?

i'll answer both questions together. again, this is my answer, and i am completely open to your opinions, so if you're keen, leave a comment a let me know your thoughts!

i suppose, it makes a difference when you're able to relive these experiences with someone who wasn't there physically at the performance. though i am highly skeptical of how most people would probably just share videos to prove that they're at a music show that they love and support, i am also convinced that tehcnology today allows us to share information at such a speed and accessibility that it has become a brand new way of connecting with each other. whether it is the quiet watching of someone else's video on your own computer screen alone, having an epiphany after a horrible day, or the giggling shared with a friend, a sister, a stranger, as you watch a live comedy gig on your device, it's connection. not the most ideal in my mind, but a connection nonetheless.

to answer the second question, i think you'd know by now that i might answer yes, we might be appreciating these moments a little less. and that answer is mine, indeed. in an age where everything around you is trying to distract you and ask for your full attention, we are all guilty of multi-tasking and unable to fully focus on being simply one place at a time. it's a forgotten art. photographs used to be precious, videos used to watch together as a family, and though we may evolve into a different generation entirely, let's also not forget to live in the here and now. i make it a point to use my device as little as possible at a live show, so that i can give my full attention to the performer, which is absolutely what they deserve from their audience, in my opinion. the best experience is when both the audience and the performer knows that both parties have given their best in enjoying the entire show. that connection will be a lasting memory to both performer and audience.

now, i'm not going into the topic of how unreliable science has proven our memory to be, and i admit i am a romantic, so i would love very much to just let you know this: maybe the next time you decide to go for a live show, you would choose to be fully present in that space and time.

and maybe, we'll stop multi-tasking so much, but we'd learn to focus on doing one thing at a time again. build real connections that actually last.

i don't know, you tell me.