In the grand scheme of parenting, it may seem trivial, but ever since I got my smartphone, I’ve found myself inundated with countless digital photos of my children. My phone, soon followed by my laptop, has become a digital archive of their antics: kids in costumes, kids at play, kids making silly faces. Every moment, it seems, has been captured and stored.
The digital images on my device can be sorted into three distinct categories:
- The Forced Smile
Our kids are completely over having their pictures taken. Unlike the days of yore when photos were reserved for special occasions like birthdays or school dances, now it feels like every moment is a photo op. If you try to limit the snapshots, you become the villain. Ever been that one parent at the school recital without a phone in hand? Instant “bad parent” status. - The Action Shots
My kids have picked up a knack for capturing action sequences, much like sports photographers. Should I keep a series of them flipping over the couch, akin to those early motion pictures of galloping horses? Does it even merit the storage space they occupy? - Kid Selfies
My kids have claimed my phone as their own, snapping hundreds of selfies and candid shots of their activities. This results in a chaotic collection of blurry faces, random angles, and even pictures of the television screen while they’re engrossed in their favorite shows. We’ve truly entered the realm of meta-media—a screen capturing another screen.
Backing up these photos is a task I often neglect. Every time I sit down to create a photo album, I’m overwhelmed by choices: every picture deserves a caption, right? Which of the five nearly identical shots should I select? How many should fit on a page? What background and font are best? This analysis paralysis has left me with a slew of incomplete projects.
What haunts me the most is the fear of a digital disaster—what if I lose all these memories? If their childhood passes without documentation, did it even happen at all?
So what’s the solution for all these photos? Deleting is an option, but it’s time-consuming and fraught with anxiety—what if I accidentally erase that one perfect shot of their five-year-old selves? It feels heartless to delete, yet I must steel myself against sentimentality. In this era of effortless photography, I remind myself: what comes easy, can also go easy.
Except for this one…
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In conclusion, while digital photography may seem like a harmless pastime, it can often lead to an overwhelming collection of memories that are both a joy and a burden to manage.