Once upon a time, travel was regarded as one of life's greatest adventures.
The planning of a trip was the chance to head off to a far-flung corner of the world, and explore locations that friends and family hadn’t been to, all to get a taste of the unknown. But thanks to social media, the world has become a much smaller place, with travel-based videos bringing fantastic locations right to the palm of your hand.
There’s not a travel stone that’s been left unturned, or so it would seem. With the veils of mystery surrounding travel destinations lifted, have we become a sole traveler or influencer?
All you need is a good device and an internet connection, and you can travel anywhere.
There’s content for every taste: you can watch a film about traveling in Vietnam, or wander the streets of New York in a video game.
If you’re more into gambling, you can travel there too. Reliable online casinos, like those listed at Legalcasino, a platform that analyzes and compares operators, offer plenty of games with the flavor of different countries.
You can also discover interesting and unusual locations on social media, where travel content abounds, whether from professional bloggers or your own friends.
But then, the user has to ask themselves whether they really want to go there, or whether they have just been “influenced”.
A lot of what we do online involves impulse, like clicking on an advertisement to buy some cool camera gear. Has that impulse to travel to Marrakech always been there? Has it been a lifelong dream, or is it just because you got a glimpse of it on social media and it’s trending?
The Creator Set
Source: Unsplash.
Travel content creators seem to have the world in their hands. But from their perspective, travel must feel disconnected and little more than a commodity to earn views.
Because of the need to capture and document everything in the adventure, viewing the world through a small lens means creators are less present in the moment itself.
Their experience is more about capturing content and thinking about editing and presentation than about the destination, and essentially isn’t the traditional travel experience.
Even non-creators see the world this way. Because of the need to fit the travel experience to our social media accounts with photos and videos, the modern traveler is a creator, not an explorer.
It’s about getting views and clicks, and as most people only want to post picture-perfect landscapes, luxurious hotel rooms and stunning-looking cuisine, the actual journey becomes less real. It’s about the result and not the moment.
Are All That Wander Lost?
So has the true spirit of travel been lost? Perhaps not, but it is now almost becoming a rebellious choice to avoid all the exhausting performances required for social media uploads, and to just go and soak it all in.
It takes a conscious effort to get out from behind the screen and to lose yourself in a new location, and that starts before even getting there.
Yes, social media posts of travel destinations can be inspiring, but a better way to understand what you want is to detox from them. Put down the phone and instead sit back and think of where you would like to visit and why? What are you hoping to get out of the trip? What experiences do you want from it?
Ask yourself questions like that without all of the social media noise streaming its way into your consciousness. This can help you rediscover the travel bug and find that most precious of souvenirs, which is the creation of a treasured “unshared” memory that belongs to you.
Source: Unsplash.
The Rising Trend
There is also a new rising trend where travelers are using AI to help plan their trips. By using prompts, travelers can tap into the power of AI and have it create a list of destinations to visit, such as places of interest within a particular country.
Searches can include prompts about the distance between places for efficiency, the types of places to visit, setting an itinerary, and, of course, searching for something more unique and personalized. All that should still be done in conjunction with research, as AI can make mistakes.
However, travel is still a massive industry, and while creators help bring the world to us, there’s plenty out there to still experience for ourselves, and to do it in the way that we want to.
Conclusion
Source: Unsplash.
The line between traveler and influencer has become increasingly blurred in our digital age.
While social media has undeniably changed how we experience and share our journeys, it hasn't completely erased the authentic travel experience—it's simply made it a choice we must consciously make.
The key lies in finding balance. Whether you document your adventures or keep them private, what matters most is being present and engaged with the world around you.
Ultimately, travel remains what you make of it. The destinations are still there waiting to be explored, and the memories you create—shared or unshared—are entirely yours to treasure.
Disclaimer:
This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.
