Despite being a midlife adventurer I have some understanding of social media. Both of my children are in their mid to late twenties and as such social media started to really take off when they were in their teens. However the more recent trends really have me flummoxed, trends that I’d love to ignore but seem to be forced upon me regardless, wherever we travel.
Let me take you back to September 2017. We were in San Francisco, specifically walking up the hill towards Lombard Street. Known as the “Crookedest Street in the World,” Lombard Street is one of San Francisco’s most popular landmarks. Every year, millions of visitors walk or drive down its eight sharp hairpin turns.
As it came into view all we could see was total chaos. A tourist bus had obviously just dropped off a large group of Asian tourists and they were everywhere, posing for photographs, selfie sticks held high, in the middle of the road with the twists and turns of Lombard Street securely behind them in their photos.
Drivers were becoming impatient as they reached the bottom of this famous street and were trying to avoid running them over.
I couldn’t decide whether they were totally oblivious, entitled or just mad?
Then again are we British tourists just too polite?
This was obviously not a one off incident because shortly after we arrived a traffic cop showed up, to try and direct the traffic whilst keeping the tourists safe!
This was my first taste of how recording those precious holiday moments was evolving.
Fast forward to the summer of 2021. We were on an eight week road trip of the UK. As part of the trip we covered the NC 500 around the coast of Scotland where there were moments of pure beauty and amazement. We travelled anti clockwise and on our return journey, therefore, down the East Coast we stopped at Dunrobin Castle renowned for its 14th century turreted castle and elegant gardens.
Photography is one of Phil’s hobbies and he particularly enjoys taking photos of nature be it a bird, a bee, a flower etc. So there we are in the gardens of the castle.
I have settled myself on a convenient bench to take in the beauty before me and Phil is off somewhere taking his photos.
A family make their way onto the lawn surrounding the flowerbeds in front of me. There is Mum, Dad and a young boy probably about 11 years old. Mum appears to be of possibly Malaysian heritage. My eyes are drawn to them because at first I cannot quite make out why the Mother keeps strutting up and down the lawned pathway. Then I realise that the husband is taking a video of her and every time she completes her walk along the lawn that is now her “catwalk” she is checking what he has recorded. He must have recorded her at least half a dozen times before she is happy with the result. At this point I think they are going to walk away but no it’s now the young boy’s turn to become the “catwalk model” . I’m just sitting there flabbergasted.
Is this what the world is coming to? Are we really turning into such a vain society or am I missing something here?
A year later we are on our honeymoon, island hopping in the Greek islands. We stayed in Paros and having hired a car for a couple of days we had driven up to Lefkes, a beautiful village in the centre of the island and then dropped down into Naousa, a small but popular fishing village on the north east coast.
It was a lovely Greek summer’s day and we wandered around the harbour exploring. Suddenly we came upon a queue of young tourists. They seemed to be waiting to take a photo in front of a “pink door”. Phil and I were bewildered. There didn’t seem to be anything special about this particular pink door or any great landscape that you could include in your photo shot. So why were they all taking this photo?
On our return to the UK, still questioning this incident, I did a bit of research into it. It didn’t take me long to find out that the number one instagram photo spot in Paros is listed as the Naousa pedestrian area. Take it a step further and look at Google images and there’s the pink door!
This is where my logic starts to go into overdrive:-
Firstly why are you taking a photo purely to put on Instagram and not to actually record your visit to this wonderful Greek island?
Secondly if everyone is taking the same photo of the same pink door, how is your photo unique? Why is your photo going to be any better than the last person’s photo? It’s a pink door for goodness sake!
Finally and I’m only guessing here, this is not factual, what about the person who lives there? Can you imagine how you would feel? The invasion of privacy.
And so to 2023 and having finished our tour of Spain and now en route to France let me bring you up to date. Throughout this adventure I have watched many tourists doing exactly the same sort of things as I’ve narrated above. Some specific examples being:-
The two female Spanish friends, probably in their late teens, walking the catwalk of the Plaza de Espana in Seville. You are surrounded by amazing architecture but instead of appreciating it or even photographing it for posterity you are strutting up and down, trailing your scarf along the floor, whilst your friend takes a video that you assumedly are going to post on Instagram. Sorry but I just don’t get it!
We were in the Jardines de Alameda Apodaca in Cadiz. Again a beautiful park. As I entered there was a young Asian couple standing right in the middle of the main pathway. I assumed, like many others, they were going to take their photograph and then move off.
There was a lovely photo to be had from this entrance, stretching all the way along the path to the other end bordered by trees. After several minutes of waiting it was obvious that yet again the young lady wanted the perfect photo and until her partner achieved this she was going to continue posing on the pathway.
I’m not sure what the other visitors did but I walked away.
Later when I reached the other end of the park I thought I would try again and take my photo facing in the opposite direction. No word of a lie the couple were still there! Totally oblivious to everyone around them and evidently still trying to get their perfect photo.
Now I’m beginning to question not only the vanity of this feat but also the lack of consideration for other visitors. Again I ask the question-are they totally oblivious? Too fixated that they just don’t care? or just an entitled generation?
On a day trip to Segovia, whilst based in Madrid, we took the bus alongside many other tourists from the train station to the centre of the city. It drops everyone off right next to the Aqueduct. This unbelievable feat of Roman engineering is astounding. Like everyone else we want to take a couple of photos and trying to do so without a group of tourists in it isn’t easy. We understand this and remain patient but while we are waiting we can’t help but notice those around us. So many young tourists get off the bus, take a couple of selfies and move on.
It’s like Aqueduct. Tick. Go! There doesn’t seem to be any appreciation for the history that surrounds them!
Later in the day we are in the cathedral in Segovia. The main altarpiece is made of marble, jasper and bronze and was consecrated in the year 1768. It is truly special.
In front of the altar there is a glass casement through which you can view some Gregorian hymn books used by the choir. The size of them is ridiculous!
Like so many before, and no doubt after me, I reach for my phone to click off some photos as reminders of my visit. However it is initially not possible to get a photo of the altar as a young lady of Afro/Caribbean descent appears to be posing in front of both the altar and also the display books. I can’t quite make out what exactly she is doing but after she departed Phil enlightens me. It transpired he could see her operating her I-phone which was strategically placed on the floor with her Apple Watch timer in order to pose in front of the altar and books whilst ensuring her rather shapely bottom was sticking out in various poses!
I was so stunned that again I had to research this and in so doing discovered that this is not as abnormal as I believe. It’s another trend to enhance Instagram photos to secure followers and likes!
Whatever your belief this building is a consecrated House of God, this is an altar!
To utilise it in this manner is totally beyond me!
I’ve come to the conclusion that photos to attract followers and likes on Instagram are never natural. They are all posed, whether it is the girl whipping her dress around, the girl or guy walking away from the camera towards the wonderful view or classic building beyond or the catwalk strut.
All of this came to a bit of a climax last week in Barcelona. We visited many places but this is about three particular incidences:
Firstly we were in the The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. The altar, in this church that remains as Gaudi’s legacy, is somewhat unique hanging from the ceiling suspended from a canopy. Everyone wants to take a photo and we politely take turns.
Many visitors are seated in the pews taking in the magnificence of the place (including me), or maybe are taking a rest but some are also in prayer, after all this is a Catholic Church.
As I am sat there a young couple of South American descent stand in the aisle to take their photo. But yet again this is not to show appreciation of the altar’s design but a posed instagram photo. The young lady is wearing a rather fetching red and white spotted dress and as she stands there she is whipping her skirt back and forth as if she is dancing a Paso Doble. The guy is desperately trying to get the right photo. Eventually they return to their seat so she can inspect the photos. Evidently they are not good enough so up she gets again. This happened three more times before she was satisfied!
And then of course it was his turn. Only as he stands proudly for his photo she is on the floor taking the photo upwards (again I’m led to believe this is another new trend) in order to enhance the photo and give it a special quality.
This is a House of God and while all this is going on the everyday folk are waiting patiently to take their memento!
We also visited the Palau Guell, another architectural masterpiece. I am following my audioguide and Phil is way ahead of me taking his photos. I am alone in a room, which I appreciate is unusual when the site is quite busy and manage to take a photo while it is devoid of tourists.
Suddenly a group of about forty Asian tourists accompanied by a guide enter the room. I am completely caught off guard as I find myself surrounded by them with the guide literally stood in front of me! I must be nearly breathing down her neck while she is explaining to them the significance of the room. This is where everything steps up a gear for me.
I cannot believe the rudeness of the female guide. I cannot believe that I am basically invisible to this group of people! I find it really insulting.
How dare you surround me in this way! I deliberately move forward and in a calm voice ask the guide if she could please move to let me out. She makes a slight leftward movement but there is no apology, not even recognition for her behaviour.
Who on earth do you think you are and what gives you the right to act in this way?
Finally I am on the rooftop of Casa Mila -the last house that Gaudi designed. The floor surface undulates and so if you are a midlifer like me, you do have to take care as you walk. There are many beautiful examples of Gaudi’s work up here.
I start to take a photo of a wire statue and just as I’m about to press the button a family of Asians (Mum, Dad and two girls) move in front of it and the Dad starts giving instructions to one of the daughters of how he wishes her to pose for his photo. I cannot help but make a frustrated sound. Mum hears me and assumedly explains to her husband that he has just taken over my photo and they move to one side. I make a point of saying thank you, because I was brought up to be polite, and then move off to admire more of the Gaudi art.
I walk through an archway and in so doing I nearly trip over three young Asian girls where one is posing for a photo and the other two are supervising and taking the photos. They don’t flinch, they don’t move, they seem to actually expect me to go back from whence I came! You are seriously joking! I mutter an “excuse me please” and walk through the middle of them.
On the opposite side of the rooftop is another archway and admittedly I can see a queue of young people the other side waiting to take photos. Again I walk through the arch. I then politely ask the young lady on the other side if she realises there is a queue developing? In broken English a young Spanish guy who along with his girlfriend, are first in the queue, then raises his voice at me and tells me “yes there is a queue so hurry up and get out of the way!!!
Is this how I should expect to be treated when I interrupt a precious Instagram picture? The irony is that young people are so desperate to get that unique photo that they are prepared to queue. The fact they are queuing for this opportunity is in itself is a total contradiction or can’t they see this!
This was going to be my final example but I have had to add this last photo which I only took today. This photo shows a young girl and her male partner, both of Asian descent, walking up the centre line of the Champs Elysee in order to get the perfect picture of the Arc de Triomphe. If you have ever been there you know how busy it is with traffic!
What possesses people to do this? Does Instagram rule their lives?
I have deliberately mentioned people’s heritage in this article not for any other reason than to illustrate that this is a worldwide phenomenon. Worldwide people are taking photos for no other reason than to attract attention to themselves, to collect followers, likes and views.
The crazy part of this is that once these photos are posted on their Instagram account a lot of these youngsters will then delete them. They are of no further use to them. They aren’t going to keep them to look back upon, to recall where they have been and what they have seen. It’s just another example of the throw away society we now seem to live in!
Do they do all this purely in the hope that they might be the next Kym Kardashian? Who don’t forget got herself noticed after always being present in shots taken of her then boss -Paris Hilton.
Is this exploding vanity purely aimed at securing an advertising deal which means they can throw in their resignation on Monday morning and stop going out to work for a living? Where will this end?
I’m a midlife adventurer, perhaps I’m just too old to understand?
A Midlife Adventure 