I just want to take a little time out from my usual style of blogging to pose a serious question that has arisen out of my current travel project. Has social media changed the travel experience for the better or worst?
The journey thus far has lead me not only to some interesting places in Trinidad but my research has also lead me to discover a lot of different information circulating on the web about travel and social media. I came across this one article in particular that has peaked my interest.
The article states that social media and technology have not only enhanced the way we travel but it has also changed it completely. Those persons who once depended on friends advice or pictures from their vacation photo album to determine if they wanted to visit a destination have moved away from word of mouth information and rely solely on the information they receive from their different social media outlets. You now have applications that tell you when is the best time to travel, what the weather is like, many different sites to compare rates and get the best and cheapest prices, among other things.
Social media in this situation is not only taking away the "experience" that goes along with planning a trip but it takes away the "social" portion of the experience. We no longer have to go to a travel agency to book a ticket, all we need is a cell phone with internet and a travel app on our smartphone and we are basically set. According to the article "More than 80% of international vacationers use their smartphones while abroad."
Is this what a vacation constitutes of now? Using the app Foursquare to tell the world where you are or posting a photograph of everything you do on Facebook, or maybe tweeting every single thing you eat......
Just to drive the point home a bit, have we become so much attached to our smartphones and devices that we have integrated it into our very way of life?
Geez and crackers..... Was it really necessary for Bmobile to install 4G coverage on Maracas Beach, a place meant for relaxation? Is this what we have come to? Are we really so wrapped up in social media that we no longer have time to be social?????
What do you think?
Feel free to read the article below
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