Vacationing in an Insta studio

Everywhere I go, I see people sacrificing experience for selfies

I enjoy traveling, exploring new places, cultures, history and natural beauty. I always come across new experiences and observations – some good, some unexpected and others that take your breath away. But the one trend that has stood out distinctly in the recent past is what I would call the Instagram culture.

Shakespeare, with infinite wisdom, said that all the world is a stage. The modern version of this could be: All the world is an Instagram Studio. Wherever I go, and whichever spot I happen to be in (mountain, beach, monument, place of worship, museum, you name it), there is one, and perhaps the only, common sight I witness -- everyone posing for photos or taking complex selfies. They are all extremely busy recording their presence in the named spot for their near and dear ones and  ‘followers’, may be the whole world, to see and acknowledge the feat. There is an insatiable urge to be omnipresent and pervasive in their pursuits. They remind me of W H Davies’ lament in his famous poem, Leisure: We have no time to stand and stare.

For example, when I was cruising the famous Fjords in Norway, instead of enjoying the serene flow of water between towering mountains, most of the fellow passengers were busy posing, dangerously leaning out from the deck, with arms spread out, Titanic style, so that they could get a few hundred likes on their social media posts. I could not help thinking that they could have achieved this with a photo-editing software on their computer, sitting at home.

Ancient monuments like those invaluable structures and artefacts you see in places like Cairo, Vienna or Barcelona are all game for an Instagram backdrop. People climb on statues, hug sculptures (sometimes against prevailing rules) and have a friend take a quick snap. No one seems to have the time or inclination to read any of the narratives placed next to these precious items, some dating back several hundred years BC. 

People seem to be willing to put their own and others’ lives at risk in their penchant to be an Instagram hero. During our safari rides in Tanzania and Kenya, against all sound (pun intended) advice, people made loud noises, reached out to touch ferocious animals and put everyone at risk of attack by wild animals – just to get a sensational selfie that could elevate their status on, yes, Instagram. 

Then there are other ‘lifestyle’ experts – they are also called ‘influencers’, I believe – who have to video record their ‘actions’ and, worse, do live transmission of their activities. With an obliging friend or accomplice recording on a smart phone, they talk, dance and make a nuisance of themselves, depriving any sort of peace or enjoyment for other unfortunate vacationers nearby. 

Vacations no longer seem to be for experiencing new (or familiar) places and sights. They are just another set of acts in a play with just oneself as the central theme.