An Editorial: Hey, Get Off Your Phone!

– Words by Michal Elizabeth Smith –
“Phone-y Fans”

As a 5”2 female, many would think the biggest issue standing between me and the stage of a venue would be the giants who somehow always end up in front, but that’s not the case.On the very tips of my toes, my eyes attempt to look past the many cell phone cameras obstructing my view. Fans are becoming so preoccupied with capturing the best photo or video they forget to experience the show with their own two eyes.

I’ve been guilty of this a few times but only recently has the gravity of the situation started to dawn on me. Fans want a souvenir to take home with them, and a picture or video is the perfect memento, but fifty of them are unnecessary. If I wanted to watch videos of my favorite band, I would do so online. I have an array of videos of bands on my phone but have never watched them due to the poor quality of my phone’s camera. The pictures are nothing more than a blob of colors in an unidentifiable background. These masses of photos and videos do not compare to a technology free concert experience. If fans allocate all of their time at a concert to capturing mementos, they miss out on the experience of the show. Ultimately tickets are wasted on people more interested in letting everyone on their friend list know where they are as opposed to living in the moment.

I challenge each and every one of you to either leave your phone behind or simply turn it off the next time you attend a concert. If you feel as if that is asking too much, then snap a few photos here and there. Watching a concert through the screen of your camera phone does not come remotely close to watching it through your own eyes. A 3×2 screen limits the capability of memories that can be made, and what a tragedy it would be to miss out on some fantastic moments.