Tanya Sweeney: I’ve put away my smartphone to live in the moment – but shouldn’t we be recording the good times?

'We should be recording the good times. We should be cherishing those images and keeping them somewhere safe'

Tanya Sweeney

I think we all have the one friend who is still partying like it’s 2019 — as in, she’s quick to take selfies wherever and whenever. And so it went last weekend, when a few of us met for lunch.

“One quick picture before we go!” she said, raising her hand at that very specific ‘selfie’ angle before any of us could react. Ten or 15 years ago, we’d have jumped in with enthusiasm; now, not so much. I could feel a collective slump in that moment. Jaykers, next thing we’ll be doing something retro like photographing the eggs Benedict. Stomachs got sucked in, backs straightened.