Using Your Phone Actually HELPS You Enjoy the Event More?
I'll admit it. I have been that guy to tell a younger person to "put your phone down and enjoy the moment now". One that comes to mind is when my wife and I saw Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators at the Mississippi Moon Bar in the Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque. My wife took out her phone during Sweet Child o' Mine to record it for my daughter. A noble cause but I was annoyed. "Put it down! Slash is here! Now!"
But after I read this article...I realized that one of the most memorable moments of the Paul McCartney show was when I recorded Klinger and I singing Hey Jude.
In fact, an article from Fast Company says you actually enjoy an event MORE when you're recording it with your phone or taking pictures.
"Participants who created social media content during events consistently felt more immersed and engaged in their experiences. That doesn’t mean tune out."
A fancy pants study from Rutgers University and New York University did nine studies where they tracked social media use during holiday parties, a Super Bowl halftime show, bus tours, virtual safaris and even a horror film and apparently your grumpy ass uncle that tells you to "put your damn phone away and live in the moment" is, much as his political beliefs, misguided.
"Participants who created social media content during events consistently felt more immersed and engaged in their experiences, and enjoyed positive experiences even more."