How to prove the world that you’ve been THERE? Is it enough to “check-in” or post a status on Facebook ? Is it to get likes on social media or something else?
oh, the famous “traveling to” Facebook status…
I am guilty as charged, I do it. The image above comes from my Facebook. Last time in London? I wrote a cheesy status saying: London calling. The obligatory instagram photos followed. Well, I realized that it does not necessarily mean that I am an obnoxious traveler that needs to publicly aknowledge that I am going places. It just means that the way we live and travel has dramatically changed in the last few years.
Social media has revolutionized our entire lives. The extent of its impact depends on us. How many people spend all their time taking pictures, videos (that you rarely watch afterwards), instagramming, snapchatting, etc instead of just enjoying the view? Heck, even Instagram and Snapchat became verbs! I believe it is perfectly fine to take all the pictures you want to share with your family and friends, but this should not become the main concern while traveling. We stop seeing through our eyes, and opt to “enjoy” the view from our iPhone. We are thinking which is the best angle to take the photos, what snazzy caption we can write on Instagram, instead of LIVING the moment.
This is when you have to decide how much you are going to let social media define how you appreciate life !
Camera eats first
Yes, I want to take great pictures of everywhere I go. Yes, I want to have enough material for Instagram and for the blog. However, if I do not enjoy the moment, if I do not fully appreciate the culture, or the food, or the general ambiance of the country I am visiting, then what am I going to share? Really share? Just a list of “10 best things to do in XXX” ? Well that is not the point of writing a travel blog (in my opinion). So, I will be careful to enjoy the moment, take a good picture if I can (and not stress if it doesn’t work out as planned), and write about my experience here.
Likes in social media mean nothing if you do not appreciate each and every moment, no matter where you are in the world.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this !
X-Andy
bonvoyageandy.com 
I think that social media is a great outlet to share with the world around you about your experiences but it’s when the intent behind the post changes when the problem occurs. So many people these days stray away from the idealities of social media, like sharing their thoughts and experiences with their readership, keeping connected with friends and family. We live in an age where were constantly on the go never in one spot. It’s hard to keep in touch and thats the beauty of social media. Send out an instagram to share with everyone how big your child is getting, your trip to Europe, whatever. Providing material to inspire and provoke creativity in others is another beauty of sharing these moments. It becomes an issue when it becomes a way of gloating and rubbing it in all the things that you do and see. I agree with you. We fail to live in the moment. But it’s okay to capture those moments for a quick second if you have the opportunity. It’s okay to savour those moments in an attempt to look back on them one day. Sometimes a photograph speaks more than words. There’s no pressure in taking the photo, it’s about being able to transcribe these moments in words that really counts in my opinion.
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I absolutely agree with you! My issue is when people gloat, but it’s a thin line that we’re walking on. We are so dependent on technology that we live our lives through the lens of the iPhone and whatsapp, so it’s quite scary! Maybe I feel this way because I lived this technologic evolution, when I was a teen I didn’t have all these things (but I had ICQ though! 😉 ) Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I really appreciate it =)
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