Eventgoers' live experiences are shaped by media technologies like social media, whether used in the moment or not, and memory and anticipation are increasingly part of live experiences themselves, research published in Cambridge University Press journal Memory, Mind & Media has found.
Researcher Esther Hammelburg of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences studied how eventgoers used media technologies at three large cultural events in the Netherlands: Oerol Festival, 3FM Serious Request and Pride Amsterdam. Their media technology use included taking photos, making videos, and in-the-moment sharing of content on social media platforms – actions that will become newly visible, with summer music festivals around the corner.
Hammelburg also interviewed 379 eventgoers.
"My interviewees tell me that they already know beforehand what their Instagram post from the event could look like," she says.
This means that live media practices at events are shaped by a twofold anticipation: that of the live experience, and that of the future memory of the live experience. Anticipated nostalgia informs how the eventgoer understands themselves as part of the event and the event as part of their life story.
"The way people I interviewed described using their smartphones suggests that when they are at events, they are subconsciously always thinking about what would be the best, truest, or fullest way for them to experience and to remember these occasions," Hammelburg adds.
"They don't just carry their phones – they also carry ideas they've established in advance of potential photos, posts, and stories they could share. These ideas are shaped by the multitude of images that they have seen before of the events that they are attending."
Hammelburg notes that live events, such as festivals and parades, are inextricably connected to memory: strong live experiences are memorable, distinct instants that stand out from daily occurrences. Eventgoers enter organised live events anticipating intense in-the-moment experiences that will become fond memories. They also visualise these events through photographs and videos, which they share through various social media platforms and apps.
In search of special moments
When asked about why they take photos and videos at events, Hammelburg's interviewees consistently emphasised a desire to capture moments that are extraordinary and memorable. As one interviewee at Pride, 25-year-old Kyle, said: "It is a special moment to be here."
Hammelburg comments that this seemingly obvious observation led her to question how live instances are figured by eventgoers as special moments.
"Live instances are memorable moments: noticeable experiences that are singled out because they will be commemorated as an event that stands out from the everyday. These instances become part of the narratives that eventgoers construct of their own lives, which intersect with communal narratives of the event.
"These are the moments that people anticipate and that will become their memories."
Festivals and cultural events are also well-placed to contribute to this creation of memories, as they are in fact created to be extraordinary moments. Eventgoers are also aware that they are involved in the construction of such events as special moments.
Hammelburg consequently argues that eventgoers are involved in live storytelling practices and that, through their live media practices at events, they construct narratives that position them in time, most often for the eyes of others.
