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Today, nearly everyone has a phone in their pocket, and there is zero cost to pulling it out and snapping a photo. Many of us snap away, collectively churning out over 1.4 trillion digital photos each year. 4.5 billion pictures are shared daily on WhatsApp alone, to say nothing of Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and other platforms.

There is growing resistance to this phenomenon, with phones and selfie sticks being banned by municipalities, schools, and museums. Taking pictures on our phones is often seen as part of a broader, problematic trend of constant device and social media usage that harms our mental health, especially among young people.

However, the reality is a bit more complicated. Through my research at USC’s Marshall School of Business, conducted in collaboration with Alix Barasch of the University of Colorado and Gal Zauberman of Yale University, I have found that taking pictures on our phones can actually have a number of beneficial effects.

By directing our focus, the act of taking photos can hold our attention and make us more present. Whether you’re touring a museum or a new city, attending a special event, or trying a different cuisine, zooming in (literally) on what stands out can bolster enjoyment, understanding and memory. In a series of studies, we found that participants who were encouraged to take photos during bus tours, meals and museum visits experienced more enjoyment and better recall than those who did not have access to their phones.

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So, while constant selfies and compulsive sharing can pull us out of the moment, my research shows that there are certain contexts and ways of taking pictures that can enrich our experiences and help us be more mindful. Why, then, does photo-taking get such a bad rap?

Part of the problem is that the act of taking photos gets lumped together with the act of sharing them. An excessive focus on c …

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