The following does not represent the views of Loyola University Maryland, The Greyhound, or Loyola University’s Department of Communication.
You’re scrolling on your Instagram feed and come across all the spring break posts: girls posing on the beach and friends sharing a photo dump from their tropical getaway. As you view these posts, you notice how these photos appear to be thoroughly thought out, with everything from the angle, the pose, the hair, the background, the lighting, and the editing. It was all taken into heavy consideration to decipher what gets posted. You think back to when you were younger and how you hated when your mom or grandma wanted a picture of you on vacation, because all you wanted to do was play in the sand and go to the ice cream shop. You never thought about taking a photoshoot on the beach or in a fancy destination restaurant. Why is travel becoming so “Instagramable?”
Social media influencers have been rising since the early 2010’s. The term “influencer” allows people to video and picture their entire life for people to watch through various social media apps, such as YouTube and Tik Tok. Many people look up to these influencers, wanting to live the same life they do. This started the increase in users, large or small, urging for the “aesthetic feed” or the “trendy page.”
To create an aesthetic page, you need to have colors, filters, highlight covers, fonts, grid and other visual aspects that define your social media brand persona and identity. Your trendy page is what attracts potential followers. Many people strive to have Instagram pages similar to Natalie Zacek, Ana Stowell, and Lexi Hidalgo, the tropical, summer posts with the perfect lighting and colors. People aspire to recreate the same page, traveling to locations that give off the same theme as them.
Jack Hobson, the Dean of International Studies at Loyola University Maryland, explains how social media can impact those who are studying abroad.
“[Prioritizing social media] is something l’ve seen slowly creep into the study abroad experience over the 23 years I’ve been in the professional field,” Hobson said.
Even celebrities, like Kim Kardashian and Bella Hadid, travel to locations to get the perfect shot for their posts, mainly to market their businesses and partnerships. This is traveling for social media, not because they simply want to enjoy the experience of traveling. It encourages followers to do the same.
Isabella Malvira ’28, has traveled to various places around the world: Spain, France, Mexico, and Puerto Rico are just a few. When roaming these places, Instagram proves her travels, with many aesthetically pleasing pictures and candid moments from her trip plastered on her feed.
“I’ve visited around four to five places just because I saw them on social media,” Malvira said.
The Canon G7X camera has been flying off the shelves ever since it has grown popularity in July 2024, even though the camera released in September 2014. The camera is known to be the “It-girl” camera, allowing people to capture the perfect picture. It is constantly out of stock on the Canon website, whereas Amazon and Walmart still have it in stock but sell the camera for hundreds of dollars more. With social media users becoming influenced by the camera’s product, people put their name on the Canon mailing list in hopes of getting the camera. I did not get lucky with this tactic, as the camera has not come back in stock on their website since Summer of 2024.
The Canon G7X is fantastic for interior, travel, nature, landscape, portraits, allowing users to capture elegant shots in any location. Many users of the camera state how they can’t go on vacation without the camera because of the outcome of the photos. If people don’t get the ideal picture to post, it ruins the trip.
“If I don’t get the perfect photo or capture the perfect moment, my mood will change drastically,” Malvira said.
“My best friend and I have had various fights over not getting the perfect Instagram photo,” Malvira said.
Many people determine where they want to travel based on trending locations. Santorini, Greece and Venice, Italy are top search results when looking up “Instagrammable locations,” as multiple social media users photograph themselves laying on the blue beaches and posing by the colorful buildings.
Jacob Badin, Assistant Director of the Office of International Studies at Loyola University Maryland, has experienced students do exactly this.
“I have had students tell me outright that they want to go to Greece because their favorite influencers have posted photos of the Greek islands that they now want to visit,” Badin said.
Sometimes, we encounter “Instagram travel” more than we think.
Cece Grimberg ‘28 explains how social media played a role during her spring break trip.
“My friends and I went to the Fort Lauderdale, Florida for spring break and there were definitely times where we would point out good locations for pictures,” Grimberg said.
“I never realized how much we thought about where we should take photos and what to post until you asked me about it,” Grimberg said.
Many people can find a balance between capturing memories and disconnecting to truly experience the moment. Traveling should be about submerging yourself in new cultures, experiencing different landscapes, and creating meaningful memories rather than focusing solely on curating the perfect Instagram post.
Traveling isn’t just about a getaway, but also a way to experience cultural immersion. This type of journey provides opportunities for experiential learning, offering insights into history, art, and cuisine.
Not only are there benefits to cultural immersion, but traveling has also been proven to boost mental health. Travel has been linked to stress reduction and can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. So, why not take a trip to The Bahamas for your mental health?
“I encourage students to document travel but also, to try and to put their phones down, look around and most importantly to “look up” as seeing countries through your own eyes is always better than seeing them through a screen,” Badin said.
While sharing your adventures with others can be entertaining, it’s important to be present in the moment and truly appreciate the places you visit, the people you meet, and the unique experiences you have.
The Greyhound is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions. We’d like to hear what you think. Our email: greyhoundops@gmail.com.
