Post: #1

For my 500th post, I thought I'd bring a topic here that I've seen a lot about recently not just on the forum, but several other travel groups I lurk. The Instagram effect during travel.

Here, we mainly talk about how Instagram has been effecting dating markets in certain cities and countries. Other people talk about how it's been ruining certain destinations.

But, I think something not enough people talk about is how it can potentially ruin very specific travel moments. Whether that's a temple or something man made we are trying to see, a nature spot, general behavior of other tourists, or a girl's attitude on a date or at a bar/club directly because of Instagram. What specific travel moment has been ruined by Instagram for you?

I'll start with mine. A while ago, something I always wanted to see was the Northern Lights in Iceland. Well, I did that, but it came with speed bumps. There were about 10 people around me trying to view the lights, and two of them were decent looking girls who were about to approach the wall. We all weren't sure if the lights were gonna be on display, but there was a good chance of it.

Sure enough, the lights came out, and one of the people had a tripod camera to really brighten the lights a lot more than the naked eye could see. I was really turned off by the whole idea, but sure enough the two approaching wall girls were buzzing in excitement that they were going to get their picture with the "lights". They straight up told me they were having anxiety about getting the fucking picture, more than taking in the real life moment of seeing a rare phenomenon.

Guy offered to take their picture of the fake lights and everyone in the area jumped on that. Everyone except me anyway. Worst of all, once people got their picture, they just left a few minutes later. Admittedly, it was a little cold, but I was thinking to myself I may be lucky to see this once in my life, the girls tried to see this for three days. Yet they just go inside after the picture.

I was just in disbelief how much Instagram changed the perception and attitude for a rare site in the world and how people really don't take moments in and just enjoy being in it. I ended up staying out an extra two hours by myself just listening to music and staring at one of the clearest and most beautiful skies in the middle of nowhere Iceland I've ever seen of the pure moment with a brighter sky touching over the snow-capped mountains, not the Photoshop enhanced lights for Instagram. But, I'll always have the above attached to it and know that Instagram made the lights look more like a Hollywood movie set online than what the reality is.

Post: #2

Is instagram the cause? Or is instagram just showing us what most people are actually like..

Post: #3

Sign of the times.
Enjoy the decline, etc.

Post: #4

Using a long exposure time requiring a tripod is not the same as Photoshop. That requires some skill.

Post: #5

OP stop complaining and instead travel to more remote places. Become a better traveler and you can usually avoid average people.

Post: #6

I don't get why people at a concert view the whole thing through their phone. Seems pretty dumb on several levels.

Post: #7

Looks like nowadays some people visit some places only to post some "cool" pics on insta.
Enjoy the decline!

Post: #8

So you were paying attention to what these other people were doing instead of enjoying the lights, and they are the shitty ones because they were interested in taking pictures?

Post: #9

I am seated at the balcony of this restaurant, overlooking the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park.



Two very good looking Asians come and order food, they look Japanese to me.

For 2 seconds, I feel like James Bond... the lush park with tropical birds... the 2 modelesque Asians...

But I have a return to basic reality when one of them stands up and starts taking pictures of the food for social media.

Post: #10

(03-27-2019 11:53 AM)Shimmy Wrote:  So you were paying attention to what these other people were doing instead of enjoying the lights, and they are the shitty ones because they were interested in taking pictures?

I couldn't enjoy them completely until I was alone. I don't know about the rest of you, but it really takes a lot of concentration for me to 100% connect with nature and take in the moment. It's like trying to do meditation that's meant to be in a quiet place of worship next to a group of rowdy spring breakers. Problem is I really didn't figure that out about myself until after this experience since nature travel is a bit newer for me, had I known this I would've just drifted off on my own a lot sooner.

(03-27-2019 11:36 AM)travolta Wrote:  OP stop complaining and instead travel to more remote places. Become a better traveler and you can usually avoid average people.

I wasn't trying to complain, I was trying to bring the Instagram effect to the forefront since it gets talked about indirectly so much on the forum. I don't disagree with you by the way, as I was already starting to think this way for places to meet girls before I tried adding more nature travel into the mix.

(03-27-2019 10:36 AM)benopolis Wrote:  Is instagram the cause? Or is instagram just showing us what most people are actually like..

I mean to me it doesn't really matter what the cause is with an example like mine. No matter what it is, it's a direct outlet for the outcome above.

(03-27-2019 10:51 AM)RexImperator Wrote:  Using a long exposure time requiring a tripod is not the same as Photoshop. That requires some skill.

Admittedly the guy with the tripod knew what he was doing. Had several years of experience taking good shots in Iceland. And he actually did seem to care about the nature around him. I can at least have some respect for passionate photographers that love nature, but at the same time, it just felt like cheating for the others to enjoy the misleading camera shot more than the reality of what they were seeing with the naked eye.

Post: #11

(03-27-2019 10:36 AM)benopolis Wrote:  Is instagram the cause? Or is instagram just showing us what most people are actually like..

People have been taking pictures long before instagram existed, I'm pretty sure it started with the invention of the camera and gradually became more popular the cheaper and more accessible cameras have become.

Absolutely nothing wrong with people enjoying photography or being nice and offering to take pictures of other people. He was probably able to get some practice improving his photography skills in one of the best nature sights in the world.

I have met people from both sides while traveling, photographers and hippies/backpackers acting salty at the world because other people also came to said popular tourist destination and thinks that they have the right to "connect with nature" and other people shouldn't be taking pictures there. It reminds me of the hipsters that I don't miss in the west who try to act elite because they have a better taste in whisky/beer/food/music, etc.

Post: #12

Possibly the worst I have seen is Boracay in the Philippines. It's a picturesque beach covered in girls with waterproof phone protectors around their necks pretending to have fun in the water whilst taking selfies. I thought being in the ocean would at least mean you can get away from it, but no!

Post: #13

One good tip for avoiding this though is just to go to the second nicest place of whatever it is you're there for. If you're at a beach which is a 10/10 beach but covered in tourists and annoying people, there is probably a 8/10 beach 20 minutes down the road which is still really nice and you can have it to yourself. If you're at a 10/10 temple that is beautiful but covered in tourists taking selfies, you can probably go to the next town or district that still has a 8/10 but you can actually see how the locals use it.

Post: #14

Yes nowadays people (mostly women) aren't traveling to see sights, they are traveling to sites in order to take pictures for instagram. OP I can imagine how frustrating that would be to try and enjoy the Northern Lights while being surrounded by annoying instagram-obsessed people.

Post: #15

An old favorite hike of mine about 2 hours from where I live. The hike itself is only a hour return if you go all the way to the alpine lake. We used it as a great place to basecamp and then summit some of the nearby peaks. It was never a secret, but it was never busy either.

In the middle lake, about 3/4 of the way up there sits a fallen tree. The tree sits mostly submerged in emerald green glacial waters and is the perfect place to take a cleansing swim before the final approach. Jumping in glacial water is FAR easier than wading in.

Last time I was there was 4 years ago. The 'parking' lot has been tripled in size. People are parked along the small road. There are overflowing garbage bins. The hike up was decent as most people just came to photograph the lower lake. It was busy, but not too insane where you were staring at the ass of the hiker ahead. When we got to the lake where I would normally swim, there was an actual line up of people. Girls were waiting their turn to have their friend photograph them doing yoga poses on the submerged tree. I looked at the line of yoga pants girls who were giddy with anticipation and figure the wait time to be 10 minutes.

That was the moment I realized that any hikes within 2 hours of a city are forever changed. Hiking has become about #hashtags rather than escape. Its about living in a future moment.

Post: #16

I really appreciate pro photographers Instagram, and especially film photographers. Basic people do basic shit, ain't no stopping that.

Post: #17

I'm not fully on the Instagram hate train as I tend to think that the Internet in general has made the vast majority of people insufferable cunts on many different vectors, and that social media is only the natural endpoint of that, but I did notice while I was in Iceland that pretty much anywhere within a 3-hour drive of Reykjavik that was worth seeing was absolutely flooded with cocksucking motherfuckers doing the same exact pose they saw their skanky friends doing on social media, or flying drones two feet above my head while I'm trying to enjoy nature, or trying to be yet another "photographer" and getting pissy when I walked in front of their camera while they were taking the same photo everyone else takes, on a trail that was built for me to walk on and not to house their gay $5k photography gear. As frustrating as this shit is I have to say that stoicism will go a lot farther than anger. We cannot reverse this evolution of mankind and the cat is not going back in the bag. This is the future. May as well accept what we can't change.

Post: #18

This is why I love surfing, no phones, no electronics, even bringing a waterproof watch is risky. It seems like the only place on the planet to get away from electronics these days. Even hiking Kiliminjaro recently every time there was a smidge of cell phone signal everybody freaked out and stopped talking to each other (admittingly I was one of those people )

I think people just need to learn the balance a bit. People wanted photos by famous phenomena and landmarks since long before instagram, Get your photo, nothing wrong with that, but after thats done, put the phone away and get back to enjoying the moment.

That being said I've learned photography over the years and have slowly improved on it, it landscape photography shot is always 100 times doper with a hot chick in the shot, photography is fun and obviously knowing how to take a good photo is a massive DHV for a chick (but if you don't like photography don't sell out and learn it just for pussy)

I'll also admit if I go to really fancy tasting courses I'll take lots of photos of the food but it would def have to be a very special restaurant or occasion, I'll also admit the main reason i'd post it is because local chicks would know the restaurant is expensive as fuck and that makes their juices wet.

Sad pathetic world we live in these days but you can either play or go move into a cabin and not play cause the old version of the world ain't comin back!

I totally agree though going to a super busy tourist landmark where everyone is shoving each other with their selfie sticks and being annoying as fuck absolutely kills the vibe. Kinda reminds me last year I recently hiked up to the top of Victoria Peak in hong kong instead of taking the trolly, it was a wonderful hike until I got the top it was retardo asian selfie stick behavior at its absolute worst, EVERYONE and I mean everyone outside had their phone out and literally nobody was taking any time to enjoy the view. It was so packed I actually suffered from like a severe anxiety attack and had to go down, so I feel ya bro.

Wish we could go back to the film days where you only had 20 shots for the entire day out on the town.

Post: #19

For me the best way to experience nature is by climbing mountains and rock climbing. It's unlikely people will be taking annoying pictures, and it puts you into a zen-like state of concentration. It's a unique way to experience mountains, go to remote locations most people haven't heard of, and it's also great exercise. Try it out if you're new to nature travel.

Post: #20

(03-27-2019 10:36 AM)benopolis Wrote:  Is instagram the cause? Or is instagram just showing us what most people are actually like..

It's certainly not the cause but it does have a beautiful way of exposing the mediocre among us.

Hint: if you're using social media the way it was designed to be used, you're doing it wrong.

Post: #21

It's also the hordes of unwashed masses flooding every location.

Getting elbowed and kneed by chinese tourists with selfie sticks, prices jacked up, noise, and the grey mass of humanity destroying any cultural experience of an exotic location.

Its all tattoos, beer buckets and free wifi at the hostel - same as every other location on the planet.

Post: #22

This thread remembered me of the topless russian girl hanging half body outside the car and dying with a hit in the head from a sign

Post: #23

(03-27-2019 04:10 PM)RatInTheWoods Wrote:  It's also the hordes of unwashed masses flooding every location.

Getting elbowed and kneed by chinese tourists with selfie sticks, prices jacked up, noise, and the grey mass of humanity destroying any cultural experience of an exotic location.

Its all tattoos, beer buckets and free wifi at the hostel - same as every other location on the planet.

One thing I love about Sydney is there are so many beautiful places isolated from tourists. The sad thing is when it gets leaked to the hivemind and overexploited into uselessness.

Some kangaroos took up residence in the grounds of a half-abandoned hospital, and this meant lucky explorers got to interact and observe kangaroos in beautiful lakeside parkland. Then the word got out, more and more tourists came, ignoring the warning signs prohibiting the feeding of kangaroos. It got worse, with commercial coaches tearing into the park, unloading the masses onto the now fat and aggressive kangaroos. The council ended up banning all people from the park.

Post: #24

I made 20K in Revenue off the gram this month (I am in fashion).

Long live the gram!

Post: #25

I think it has more to do with people being spoiled, than taking pictures as such.

People don't seem to realize the mortality of the moment. That they'll likely never in their life experience it again.

Photos of "stuff" is not very interesting. Looking back at pictures, I smile at photos with people, not fancy backgrounds, not status symbols. A picture at McDonalds with your friends can elicit more emotion, than that specific object of the trip. I see this as more brand building, than actual photography. I appreciate the skill of the photograph, sure, but it's not an experience so much as a new advertising campaign.

It's like how I hated going to museums as a child. Hated it. Hated visiting the Parthenon. I went to a museum a few days ago. There are not a lot of people in museums it seems. I looked at the artistic output of a human like me, except that human lived 10.000 years ago. I looked at a small silver figurine of a germanic man, at least 3000 years old. Looked exactly like a swede. The transcendence of time really struck me as powerful. As a child I had no concept of mortality or eternity, so I couldn't appreciate it. Most young travellers probably feel the same way, thinking there will be countless more great experiences in the future.