Missing the Moment: The Downside of a Selfie-Crazed World

Autumn is a beautiful time for a getaway to rest and relax. The crisp air, the changing leaves, and the desire to take advantage of every last gorgeous day compels us to dive into the Great Outdoors.

Long ago in a faraway land, a paper map accompanied our adventures; nowadays, our smartphone has since replaced Rand McNally as our omnipresent companion. In the quest to capture special events, places and memories while connecting (or even peacocking) with our social media community, we have potentially exposed ourselves to a major downside: we are missing the moment.

A few weeks ago, my best friend and I visited one of the prettiest places in my hometown of Minneapolis: Minnehaha Falls. Due to the heavy rains, the falls were incredibly powerful and absolutely stunning to behold. We decided to be courageous and walk the steep steps down to the bottom of the falls in order to enjoy its full beauty. After walking down what seemed like hundreds of stairs, we were met with the most eye-catching, visually-stunning, and sublimely peaceful expression of nature.

And cell phones were everywhere.

Every single person, and I mean EVERY SINGLE PERSON was on their phones. Instead of basking in the incredible scenery, each person who