11 votes

Has Instagram changed our expectation of travel or have we always been gullible?

Topic removed by site admin

5 comments

  1. [4]
    Eylrid
    Link
    Reminds me of Jerusalem syndrome, Paris syndrome, etc., where a tourist realizes the place isn't what they thought it would be and has a breakdown.

    Reminds me of Jerusalem syndrome, Paris syndrome, etc., where a tourist realizes the place isn't what they thought it would be and has a breakdown.

    5 votes
    1. [3]
      MimicSquid
      Link Parent
      You've got that backwards. Those syndromes are when someone is entirely overwhelmed by the place.

      You've got that backwards. Those syndromes are when someone is entirely overwhelmed by the place.

      1. [2]
        Litmus2336
        Link Parent
        Jerusalem is overwhelmed, Paris is let down

        Jerusalem is overwhelmed, Paris is let down

        12 votes
        1. MimicSquid
          Link Parent
          Thanks for the clarification. I learned something new.

          Thanks for the clarification. I learned something new.

          1 vote
  2. Silbern
    Link
    False perceptions for travel have always been a thing - many of the Asian immigrants here in Hawaii were lured in during the 1800's with the promise of a verdant tropical paradise - but I think...

    False perceptions for travel have always been a thing - many of the Asian immigrants here in Hawaii were lured in during the 1800's with the promise of a verdant tropical paradise - but I think Instagram has elevated this to a new level, because many of the pictures look pretty convincing and photorealistic, so the expectation goes from "here's what I hope it looks like" to "here's what it will look like".

    For what it's worth, I don't think it's anything special to the current time or anything, but it's an inherent by product of how Instagram is designed. There's no attempt at forming communities or anything, it's just broadcasting your photos to the community at large, so naturally the inventive is to make photos as eye catching and jaw dropping as possible, and unfortunately reality isn't a good match for our imaginations. I don't really see a way out of it other than not using Instagram as a platform.

    4 votes