3 minute read
The Influencer Infestation: Time to put an end
Cairo, Egypt. A long-haired girl glides forwards, her arm outstretched behind her, as if beckoning a friend. In the background, a pyramid towers majestically over ancient ivory ruins, framed by candy-floss clouds of salmon and grey. No one else can be seen for miles. A few metres behind the camera, a dozen tourists chatter as they wait in line for their identical shot, clutching their cameras in anticipation.
In a world where ‘instagrammability’ has become a destination’s number one selling point, influencers have become the biggest advocates for discovering new places. They promote what, for many of us, is the possibility of adventure, curiosity, spontaneity and meaningful experiences which challenge who we are and how we view the world. Travel photos are now about looking in rather than looking out “ “
But what are they really promoting? In their quest for fame, travel influencers have inverted the very essence of travel. While photography was once a means of capturing spontaneous moments of exploration, travel photos are now about looking in rather than looking out. Rather than focusing on the scenery, influencers encourage us to focus on the camera, building our egos rather than our personal experiences. In their quests for self-promotion, the world’s most striking landscapes have been reduced to mere backdrops for our selfies, at the expense of adventure and real cultural immersion.
As followers, we are seeing a very small and unauthentic portion of a destination, subject to hours of editing and filters, which all contribute to today’s FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) culture. Looking at their airbrushed lives, we feel less worthy, wondering why we do not share the same experiences. Or, when we finally visit the place, we will leave disappointed, having been exposed to the unedited reality. The problem with these posts is that many of us do not realise what they actually are – advertisements, employing all the regular techniques used to idealise a product.
Finally, travel influencers are spoiling it for the locals and for those of us who travel to really experience a destination. Some of us just want to see the sights without a selfie stick blocking the view, or to swim in a waterfall which is not occupied for a photoshoot. Influencers are being increasingly ruthless in their hunt for new material, with Auschwitz banning selfies after a series of disrespectful photos were taken by British tourists. “ “
This is not to say that we should immediately unfollow all travel influencers or burn our cameras. Let’s face it, we have all been guilty of idealising our Instagram feeds. Instead, it is about retaining the authenticity of travelling, refusing to let it turn into a brand and embracing the ‘imperfect’ destinations we might stumble across. So, next time you want to climb that mountain, or visit that monastery, don’t ‘do it for the gram’, do it for the adventure. Page Design by Natasha Phang-Lee
