Travel on Social Media

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I enjoy seeing others' travel photos. Gives me ideas for where I want to go next I occasionally will post a few photos of my own trips, but only if I think it's something particularly interesting/funny/beautiful.

Do you think your subconscious thought process is more “I want to go to that place?” Or “I want to be more like that person?”

You clearly either need a social circle or just aren't that close with anyone

Huh? It was a genuine question. I guess I was wondering if someone I don’t like posted pictures of a nice place, would it make me less likely to want to go there because I would have a negative association with it. I guess I’ve become interested in places based on other people’s pictures, but it’s always people I really like in real life, and I think I’m probably reacting more to how much fun it looks like they’re having rather than the scenery itself, if I’m perfohonest with myself.

Why are you following someone you don't like??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s remarkable how many people on this dumpster fire of a forum profess to have perfectly healthy, balanced relationships with social media.

LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of this can be summed up as "know your audience."

I think if you are on social media mostly with people at your same SES level, the travel pics can simply be a way of sharing what you are up to and yes, a good way to get ideas for where to go. This especially applies if you are relatively high SES, most of your contacts are too, and you are mostly just connected to friends and family on social media. It's a somewhat closed setting where everyone is mostly on the same page and if people in this setup are competitive or jealous about it, that really on them.

But some people have much larger and more diverse social media networks, use Facebook and Instagram for work networking, connect to neighbors and other families at a diverse public schools etc. I think if you do this, you have to edit your posts a big more and consider that many of the people who view your posts might not have the same opportunities to travel. It's just practical. You might think your best friends and school classmates will be delighted to see your trip to Patagonia or Tahiti or whatever. But your kid's classmates parents who are scraping by just to afford a rental IB for your good public school will likely be less enthusiastic about it. It's not a personal failing if they experience jealousy or resentment in that situation. And yes, they can always just mute you if it bothers them. But you could also just have some self-awareness.

As a general rule, I think it's obnoxious to share a lot of info about travel or other conspicuous consumption with people who don't have as much money as you. It doesn't mean hide it, but maybe don't detail all the very expensive restaurants you went to or hotels you stayed at or namecheck the very high end cruise company or whatever. I have seen people do these things in "mixed company" if you will, and I think it's tacky. And I say that as someone pretty well off who travels a lot.

Know your audience.

This is impossible and ridiculous advice. Tons of people follow me that I know casually and never stopped. You should post what you want to post and own it. Period. There are people in life with more money, choose to spend more $ on travel, etc. People with money get found out about by the way. There's only so much you can "hide". I happily post tasteful photos of various travel with DH and DC. Do I always tag that we're at the four seasons? No. It's not about "LOOK HOW MUCH MONEY I HAVE", it's about having a good time and sharing it. I often get a great response. You gotta own your life and not be ashamed.

People who are "scraping by just to afford a rental IB for your good public school" know there are wealthier people out there. If they have that much class warfare or it makes them feel bad about themselves, then THEY should stop following on social media.

Sure, that’s fine. But you’re describing a situation where you just don’t care. If someone is envious, their problem, they can unfollow. That’s fine and you’re right.

Another option is to be more reserved about what you post in order to cause less friction with people. Some people prefer that approach.

I see people on here often complaining about people being jealous or resentful on social media and my feeling is that this is inevitable, which is why I don’t post every single great thing in my life on social media, and especially not all the expensive stuff that I know most people can’t afford. Because I just don’t want to create a bunch of resentment and jealousy. People might know I have more money or do things they can’t afford, but I don’t go out of my way to highlight this on social media because I’m connected to a lot of people from many walks of life.

But do what you want.

[Anonymous]

Assuming your friends and family are terrible people who are bragging is just very strange…especially if all they did was post a few travel pics without typing any actual commentary.

People saying, “Come on! We all know these people are pressed to curate a fake image and rub their travel in your face!” are truly weird. It’s not normal to assume that. And if you are inundated with braggy posts by terrible people you follow on social, then maybe that’s something to evaluate about yourself, your circle, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Assuming your friends and family are terrible people who are bragging is just very strange…especially if all they did was post a few travel pics without typing any actual commentary.

People saying, “Come on! We all know these people are pressed to curate a fake image and rub their travel in your face!” are truly weird. It’s not normal to assume that. And if you are inundated with braggy posts by terrible people you follow on social, then maybe that’s something to evaluate about yourself, your circle, etc.

But it’s way more subtle—perhaps even subconscious—than that, and I think it’s either naive or self-deceiving to pretend that this isn’t how social media works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming your friends and family are terrible people who are bragging is just very strange…especially if all they did was post a few travel pics without typing any actual commentary.

People saying, “Come on! We all know these people are pressed to curate a fake image and rub their travel in your face!” are truly weird. It’s not normal to assume that. And if you are inundated with braggy posts by terrible people you follow on social, then maybe that’s something to evaluate about yourself, your circle, etc.

But it’s way more subtle—perhaps even subconscious—than that, and I think it’s either naive or self-deceiving to pretend that this isn’t how social media works.

How does it feel going through life believing your friends and family are jerks who dedicate their lives to rubbing their fabulousness in your face by posting a vacation pic on social media? It must be exhausting and very sad.

I probably saw upwards of three dozen sets of travel pics from friends and family who vacationed over winter break. Not once did I assign malicious intent to any post.

I have a handful of friends currently on some pretty unique vacations at the moment. I’ve encouraged all of them to post more pics. I love seeing where they are and what they’re doing. By the sheer volume of comments, I’m not alone in wanting to see more pics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming your friends and family are terrible people who are bragging is just very strange…especially if all they did was post a few travel pics without typing any actual commentary.

People saying, “Come on! We all know these people are pressed to curate a fake image and rub their travel in your face!” are truly weird. It’s not normal to assume that. And if you are inundated with braggy posts by terrible people you follow on social, then maybe that’s something to evaluate about yourself, your circle, etc.

But it’s way more subtle—perhaps even subconscious—than that, and I think it’s either naive or self-deceiving to pretend that this isn’t how social media works.

How does it feel going through life believing your friends and family are jerks who dedicate their lives to rubbing their fabulousness in your face by posting a vacation pic on social media? It must be exhausting and very sad.

I probably saw upwards of three dozen sets of travel pics from friends and family who vacationed over winter break. Not once did I assign malicious intent to any post.

I have a handful of friends currently on some pretty unique vacations at the moment. I’ve encouraged all of them to post more pics. I love seeing where they are and what they’re doing. By the sheer volume of comments, I’m not alone in wanting to see more pics.

DP. Everyone wants to project their best image in life. No one wants to show vulnerabilities or weaknesses. That’s normal. It’s about self preservation, we do this at an unconscious level by deciding what we say or show in real life. But fortunately in real life, we don’t always have to be performing. With people who we trust, who love us, we can just let it hang out, show our flaws, make mistakes, say stupid things.

On social media, this tendency to want to show your best self is magnified x100000 fold because you are on stage, by your choice. You will be judged. You will be criticized. You may be mocked. Maybe you don’t intend to be a show off. But you are. You have to put on your best face. It’s inevitable - you want to present your best self to others because those images will live forever on the internet. You’re not trying to be a jerk. No one is saying that. But don’t deny the enormous pressure to show how amazing your life is, how amazing your vacation was when you’re posting to social media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s remarkable how many people on this dumpster fire of a forum profess to have perfectly healthy, balanced relationships with social media.

I’m 45 years old. I have 3 kids. I’m busy. My friends are busy. We post occasionally, often of vacation pictures or first days of school, stuff like that. Social media doesn’t make me jealous. I don’t follow people who are not my friends. I don’t follow celebrities. I like to see what my friends are up to. I think I have a healthy balance with social media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming your friends and family are terrible people who are bragging is just very strange…especially if all they did was post a few travel pics without typing any actual commentary.

People saying, “Come on! We all know these people are pressed to curate a fake image and rub their travel in your face!” are truly weird. It’s not normal to assume that. And if you are inundated with braggy posts by terrible people you follow on social, then maybe that’s something to evaluate about yourself, your circle, etc.

But it’s way more subtle—perhaps even subconscious—than that, and I think it’s either naive or self-deceiving to pretend that this isn’t how social media works.

How does it feel going through life believing your friends and family are jerks who dedicate their lives to rubbing their fabulousness in your face by posting a vacation pic on social media? It must be exhausting and very sad.

I probably saw upwards of three dozen sets of travel pics from friends and family who vacationed over winter break. Not once did I assign malicious intent to any post.

I have a handful of friends currently on some pretty unique vacations at the moment. I’ve encouraged all of them to post more pics. I love seeing where they are and what they’re doing. By the sheer volume of comments, I’m not alone in wanting to see more pics.

DP. Everyone wants to project their best image in life. No one wants to show vulnerabilities or weaknesses. That’s normal. It’s about self preservation, we do this at an unconscious level by deciding what we say or show in real life. But fortunately in real life, we don’t always have to be performing. With people who we trust, who love us, we can just let it hang out, show our flaws, make mistakes, say stupid things.

On social media, this tendency to want to show your best self is magnified x100000 fold because you are on stage, by your choice. You will be judged. You will be criticized. You may be mocked. Maybe you don’t intend to be a show off. But you are. You have to put on your best face. It’s inevitable - you want to present your best self to others because those images will live forever on the internet. You’re not trying to be a jerk. No one is saying that. But don’t deny the enormous pressure to show how amazing your life is, how amazing your vacation was when you’re posting to social media.

[Anonymous]

To answer the original question: yes, I post some trip photos (after the trip). And yes, I enjoy seeing my friend’s trip photos quite a bit. Some of my friends tell me they enjoy my photos too. They could be lying, but it’d be weird to go out of your way to lie about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming your friends and family are terrible people who are bragging is just very strange…especially if all they did was post a few travel pics without typing any actual commentary.

People saying, “Come on! We all know these people are pressed to curate a fake image and rub their travel in your face!” are truly weird. It’s not normal to assume that. And if you are inundated with braggy posts by terrible people you follow on social, then maybe that’s something to evaluate about yourself, your circle, etc.

But it’s way more subtle—perhaps even subconscious—than that, and I think it’s either naive or self-deceiving to pretend that this isn’t how social media works.

How does it feel going through life believing your friends and family are jerks who dedicate their lives to rubbing their fabulousness in your face by posting a vacation pic on social media? It must be exhausting and very sad.

I probably saw upwards of three dozen sets of travel pics from friends and family who vacationed over winter break. Not once did I assign malicious intent to any post.

I have a handful of friends currently on some pretty unique vacations at the moment. I’ve encouraged all of them to post more pics. I love seeing where they are and what they’re doing. By the sheer volume of comments, I’m not alone in wanting to see more pics.

DP. Everyone wants to project their best image in life. No one wants to show vulnerabilities or weaknesses. That’s normal. It’s about self preservation, we do this at an unconscious level by deciding what we say or show in real life. But fortunately in real life, we don’t always have to be performing. With people who we trust, who love us, we can just let it hang out, show our flaws, make mistakes, say stupid things.

On social media, this tendency to want to show your best self is magnified x100000 fold because you are on stage, by your choice. You will be judged. You will be criticized. You may be mocked. Maybe you don’t intend to be a show off. But you are. You have to put on your best face. It’s inevitable - you want to present your best self to others because those images will live forever on the internet. You’re not trying to be a jerk. No one is saying that. But don’t deny the enormous pressure to show how amazing your life is, how amazing your vacation was when you’re posting to social media.

Eh, I think a family pic in front of the Eiffel Tower or eating gelato in Italy is simply just that: a family pic. Of course you post the best pic where everyone is smiling.

I really don’t think most people are stressing about this. It’s really just a picture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love seeing photos from friends. I do post photos on social media.

I have to admit that watching Bling Ring on how people robbed Paris Hilton's house based on social media postings made me feel more tentative about posting photos. But I only post on Facebook.

I know this bothers some and makes them jealous. But they can block me if they don't want to see it.

I love seeing photos from places I'll never make it to. So fun.

Jealous? No. But posting travel photos on social media can make you a mockery.

Wow. You sound mean. I don't mock my friends.

You are receiving yourself. We all do that. But I will plaster on a smile when I see you in the car pool line and chuckle under my breath about your trip to the Amalfi Coast or USVI or wherever. And I’m not alone.

You should try getting a life

You should try just living yours instead of splashing an ALBUM of photos all over the internet for attention, Likes and virtual azzpats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I post pics from my travels, yes, because I travel to interesting places. I know it makes some people jealous, but whatever.

Oh, honey, they’re not “jealous.” You’re being mocked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I post pics from my travels, yes, because I travel to interesting places. I know it makes some people jealous, but whatever.

Probably not as interesting as you think, honestly.

You'd be surprised. I don't travel to the same old boring, cliche places where most of DCUM goes. People are interested. I'm interesting.

HAHAHAHA. Keep telling yourself that, Becky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I post pics from my travels, yes, because I travel to interesting places. I know it makes some people jealous, but whatever.

Probably not as interesting as you think, honestly.

You'd be surprised. I don't travel to the same old boring, cliche places where most of DCUM goes. People are interested. I'm interesting.

I know you think you are, but you’re really not

Yes, I am.

If you really were, you wouldn’t feel the need to keep saying it.