I have a habit of saving messages and taking screenshots of texts. Some people might see it as silly, creepy, or an invasion of personal space, but to me, it’s almost like keeping a digital scrapbook.
Instead of gluing photos into a notebook or writing long journal entries, I hold on to words, little reminders of moments that matter. A text can seem so small in the moment, but when I go back and read it, it’s like unlocking a memory I didn’t realize I’d forgotten.
I don’t save everything, of course. I’m picky about what’s “screenshot-worthy.” Sometimes it’s something funny, a joke a friend made that made me laugh way too hard, or a typo that completely changed the meaning of what they were trying to say. Other times, it’s something meaningful. Especially messages from my parents when they say something encouraging when I really needed it, or admit something real and vulnerable that I didn’t want to let slip away. Those are the ones that stick with me.
What I like about saving messages is that they feel more raw than other types of memories. Pictures are staged—you smile, you pose, you prepare. But texts? They are words and emotions that are released with meaning, motivation, or wisdom.
I can forget a picture and where it was from, but somehow, I can pull up a screenshot, a single message from my mom, and I can tell you what was going on that day and why I needed that message.
Just for an example, I was scrolling through my camera roll and opened the album of messages. I came across a 3-part message, and just from the “Straighten your tiara,” it was my mom helping me through a break-up. Or the “super awesome pump-up text” from Matt, one of my best friends from high school, hyping me up for my junior and senior year musicals.
I think part of the reason I save things is because I know moments don’t last.
Conversations fade, people change, and even memories start to blur. Having a screenshot feels like pressing “pause” on something I don’t want to forget. It’s my way of holding on, even when time keeps moving forward. I guess in a way, it’s comforting. On tough days, I can scroll back and remind myself that I’ve had good times, or even during the bad times, I still have people who care about me, that laughter and love really do show up in small ways.
Of course, there’s another side to it. Saving messages can sometimes make me hold on too tightly. Not every memory is one I should keep revisiting. There are old screenshots I probably should delete, ones tied to people who aren’t in my life anymore.
But even then, it’s hard to let them go. They’re proof of what once was, even if it didn’t last.
So yeah, I save messages and take screenshots. Maybe it’s just a habit, or maybe it’s my version of journaling. Either way, it’s my way of collecting little pieces of my life, one conversation at a time.