2 ms·

> I have been toying with the idea that travel is the ultimate expression of selfishness and narcissism. travel isn't the problem. People experiencing their li

> I have been toying with the idea that travel is the ultimate expression of selfishness and narcissism. travel isn't the problem. People experiencing their lives via the lens of their phone/camera is. Take pictures by all means. But taking pictures to get likes from strangers in order to experience it as a valuable memory is pathological. Edit: I hate to bring my phone with me when in nature because I feel it robs me of the experience I could have actually enjoying the moment. My ex always complained "why you never take pictures of these special moments?" ... If I would have my eyes on the phone it wouldn't be special. 10 or 20 years later I still have rich memories of those times where it mattered and I guess not having a phone/camera with me at the time was big part that it actually became a great memory.

bmj 8y ago
I reckon it's a bit of both. As the internet allows people to share information about "special places," more people will travel there. I see this all the time with rock climbing--areas get more publicity, and climbers flock there, and there are real impacts because of increased traffic. I guess that is tangentially related to more social media posts, but there are also just more people climbing now than there has been in the past.
ASpring 8y ago
It's not just you, taking photos of something can impair your actual memory of the moment itself https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211368117301687 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221136811...
- DyslexicAtheist 8y ago
  thanks for that link!!
afiori 8y ago
> "why you never take pictures of these special moments?" ... If I would have my eyes on the phone it wouldn't be special. 10 or 20 years later I still have rich memories of those times where it mattered and I guess not having a phone/camera with me at the time was big part that it actually became a great memory. For me it is in the other direction. I do not avoid social media (think I am on most on them...) but interact sparingly (less than once a month). Still I am sometimes an obsessive photographer exactly because I know I have a terrible memory.
- prolepunk 8y ago
  Having one or two pictures from a trip helps me to remember how I felt when I was on that trip, sort of a concrete reminder of a moment that I would otherwise forget. Taking picture however, takes me forever as I'm a bit obsessive about framing the shot and would check 3 or 4 different angels before I do it.
scoutt 8y ago
Wife asks the same to me. I say her that she, and seems that also most people, don't go places with the primary objective of just visiting them. Their primary objective is to take pictures.

bmj 8y ago

I reckon it's a bit of both. As the internet allows people to share information about "special places," more people will travel there. I see this all the time with rock climbing--areas get more publicity, and climbers flock there, and there are real impacts because of increased traffic. I guess that is tangentially related to more social media posts, but there are also just more people climbing now than there has been in the past.

ASpring 8y ago

It's not just you, taking photos of something can impair your actual memory of the moment itself https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211368117301687 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221136811...

DyslexicAtheist 8y ago
thanks for that link!!

afiori 8y ago

> "why you never take pictures of these special moments?" ... If I would have my eyes on the phone it wouldn't be special. 10 or 20 years later I still have rich memories of those times where it mattered and I guess not having a phone/camera with me at the time was big part that it actually became a great memory. For me it is in the other direction. I do not avoid social media (think I am on most on them...) but interact sparingly (less than once a month). Still I am sometimes an obsessive photographer exactly because I know I have a terrible memory.

prolepunk 8y ago
Having one or two pictures from a trip helps me to remember how I felt when I was on that trip, sort of a concrete reminder of a moment that I would otherwise forget. Taking picture however, takes me forever as I'm a bit obsessive about framing the shot and would check 3 or 4 different angels before I do it.

scoutt 8y ago

Wife asks the same to me. I say her that she, and seems that also most people, don't go places with the primary objective of just visiting them. Their primary objective is to take pictures.