What we do for the gram
With almost 3 million followers, @doyoutravel is one of the biggest travel instagrammers. He takes slick pictures in beautiful locations and always keeps a swaggy air of mystery. So far I’ve enjoyed his photos as they are great escapism and feature beautiful landscapes.
121.8k Likes, 906 Comments - JACK MORRIS (@doyoutravel) on Instagram: "H O N G 🤖 K O N G Wearing the new playground shirt from my friends @suspiciousantwerp - stoked to..."
However last week, I bumped into his new post, in which he’s posing in front of old, insalubrious buildings in Hong Kong… But hey, the colors match the shirt.
Hong Kong is the most expensive rental city in the world, so much so that the government is considering converting drainpipes into homes. In this city, a 19sqm apartment in a standard neighborhood will cost you over 2,900 USD (23,000 HKD). That’s why people move to old tiny apartments in clear need of renovation. Apartments which you see on the @doyoutravel post.
When I saw the post, I was in shock to see this devastated place simply used as a cool background, with absolutely no caption about the buildings, the context, or even the name of the district it was shot in. I scrolled through the comments to find another person who’d tink the move was a bit insensitive, but all I found were “We love this”, “Cool brand'“, Stunning”, etc. I then posted the photo on my own IG story and asked: “Using insalubrious buildings for your cool Instagram post, Dope or Nope?” I got 63% of “Dope” answers…
Now, I’m not saying that such places shouldn’t be featured on Instagram. If anything, these posts can help exposing the alarming Hong Kong real estate situation. And I’m not saying that the photo doesn’t look good. As a matter of fact I find it beautiful.
My issue comes with the way (too many) so-called travel Instagrammers treat the places they use for their posts. Traveling has always been linked to a sense of adventure, a curiosity, but more and more, Instaspots are simply used as glorified backgrounds, often not even mentioned in the post caption.
1,409 Likes, 145 Comments - Yara Mairin (@yaramairin) on Instagram: "Wish I could wake up like this every morning..."
5,476 Likes, 188 Comments - CHRISTINE WEDBERG (@christineabroad) on Instagram: "VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!! 😍 ⠀ I've just launched my presets on my website!! (swipe for before..."
751 Likes, 49 Comments - Clara (@fashionvernissage) on Instagram: "I'm ready when you are. 🖤 _______ #angkorwat #angkorwattemple #asiatrip #bestfriendstrip..."
4,435 Likes, 202 Comments - Rachel Barwick ✨ (@life.with.three) on Instagram: "Happy Monday beautiful people ✨💕 ☼☼☼ Wearing @borntobechic 🌸 ☼☼☼"
Some would argue that these instagrammers aren’t travelers, however that is how they self-promote themselves and how the majority of their followers view them. What could just be a bunch of obnoxious people is actually influencing the way traveling is perceived and we all see how travel marketers start featuring good looking travelers more than travel spots themselves. True travelers may not be sensitive to this kind of advertising, but this growing trend is actually leading to oversaturated touristic spots and hectic travel experiences. Moreover, when you have a passion, it’s always a pity to see people embracing the far-from-best side of it.
“#notallwhowanderarelost”
But we can complain, pitty ourselves and jealously criticize the grammers, or we can make the best of the platform - which after all…is just a platform!
So, let’s be mindful and follow a few guidelines to keep enjoying our travels and share the best of traveling with the world!
I will not take a photo when I don’t feel like it…unless I wanna ruin the experience.
I will be esthetically pleasing while being authentic and wear normal clothes…I know I can, and THAT will actually truly be #inspiring!
I will give tribute to the place I am at by informing my followers about its great mysteries…they don’t deserve less.
I will be mindful of the country or city I’m in and learn the culture…it will just make the whole experience ten times better!
If you’re with me on this, check these fantastic grammers below for great ideas…and don’t forget to follow our account as well!
57 Likes, 1 Comments - Cyprienne (@cy_prienne) on Instagram: "I'm an ant in this world ! One thing that this trip made me realise is how big is the world, how..."
101 Likes, 3 Comments - Lara Dunston & Terence Carter (@grantourismo) on Instagram: "Monks lined up waiting for offerings outside Battambang's old market. It's been a few months since..."
697 Likes, 113 Comments - Natasha | Ethical Travel (@lifeinminiaturepictures) on Instagram: "Today is World Tourism Day ※ ↠ World Tourism Day raises awareness of tourism's actual and potential..."