That whole debate about whether taking photos diminishes or improves your memory of events? I couldn't give a toss about it. Sometimes waltzing around a dancefloor with my brother to Sweet Caroline is a far better experience than taking photos of everyone else dancing. Other times, it's the act of climbing onto the shed roof in a floor-length skirt to take a picture of everyone singing happy birthday to my mother that forms the strongest recollection of an event. Use the camera or put it down: it doesn't really matter. You have to do what feels more important right then and there. But I do know that I'd rather not watch the entirety of a live concert via a four-inch smartphone screen and I certainly don't want my view obscured or enjoyment diminished by other people doing just that.
The wonderful xkcd sums up my sentiments perfectly. Thank you, Randall Munroe.
