Remember when vacations were just… vacations? No Yelp, no Instagram, no "Top 10 TikTok Spots." You packed your bags, grabbed your friends, and just went. If a souvenir shop was a rip-off, you found out the hard way, but that was part of the adventure.
Fast forward to today, and the "Vacation Chapter" looks a lot different:
- The Review Trap: With millions of reviews at our fingertips, we rarely take risks. If a restaurant isn't highly rated, we skip it, losing the chance to discover something unexpected.
- The "Post-Worthy" Filter: Not every place is "worthy" of the feed. We find ourselves scouting locations based on their aesthetic rather than their history.
- The Model Life: Photos aren't just snapshots anymore. To be "postable," you have to look flawlessly happy and fresh. If it’s not "perfect," it didn't happen.
Of course, I don’t want to be entirely critical of social media—it has certainly brought some upgrades to the "vacation chapter" of our lives. One of the biggest perks is the ability to avoid the "wrong places." By checking reviews and weak experiences shared by others, we can save ourselves from wasting precious time and money on things that simply aren't worth it.
Beyond just star ratings, there is the personal connection. Seeing a friend's post can be a goldmine of information. It allows you to reach out to someone you actually trust for "insider" tips and honest advice, making your trip much smoother than it would have been in the past.