Social Media Industrial Complex

Where would you visit if nobody could follow you on your journey?

It’s incredible how frequently people travel – not with the passion to explore, but rather the passion to impress.

By chance, did you question your own motives the last time you went to book a trip? Or how easy it is to fill that void of envy which rises after consuming someone else’s storyline on SnapChat or Instagram as they’re on vacation? Those feelings then flood your conscious mind, but do you ever pause and question the where and the why these precarious feelings are ignited?

I’ve often pondered the possible slim percentage of people who still seek out travel due to a sparked flame in their soul for exploration of foreign lands. Or were their tickets booked as a simple mimicry of someone they follow online? The fear of missing out that rises after viewing someone else’s incredibly well-staged pictures is often quite powerful. Not only do feelings of insecurity become highlighted, but the massive amount of likes and comments that start to flow under their picture create an envy monster within. Social media serves as this irrational feedback mechanism that has somehow planted itself deeply within our psyches, unknowingly persuading so many of our choices.

Validate me! Follow me! Like me!

The enticement of destinations like Las Vegas have now been marketed so well online, we really don’t stand a chance when it comes to resisting it’s well-constructed magnetic pull. If the lights and the glam weren’t strong enough marketing ploys, the social media strategies they put in place will snag you. How often do you find yourself constantly viewing your followers timelines as they prance around the halls of the Wynn Hotel, with photo captions reading “having the night of our life” followed by #BFF #friendsforever #whathappensinvegas hashtags. It plants an internal itch within us that few can resist scratching.

Will you resist the impulse and fall victim to the social media industrial complex next time you feel you are missing out?

If you are feeling a bit duped right now, that is a completely natural response. Take some solace in knowing that this marketing trap was developed by some of the best minds in marketing and psychology. Hired from the likes of Harvard and Stanford Universities to create algorithms that work right in front of our eyes, yet we remain blind to their effect.

G.I. Joe said it best my friends – “knowing is half the battle”.