Social media has been misleading travelers. Is anyone surprised?
It’s no secret that the content we post on social media is cherry-picked to show what we want people to see. Whether it’s choosing just the most flattering shot of your face to post on Instagram, or making sure to only photograph the unburnt side of your steak to show off your grilling hobby on Facebook, we all do it. Some take it even farther, with video filters that wildly alter their appearance, or even catfishing, using someone else’s pictures entirely.
So it shouldn’t be shocking to find out: tourists get catfished too.
For example: When a Youtuber from Florida saw a TikTok video of a beautiful, picturesque town set among soaring mountains that looked like a fairy tale setting and claimed to be Gastonia, North Carolina, she packed up her car and went.
Yes, a little common sense would have reminded her there are no mountains like that in North Carolina – or anywhere on the East Coast – but let’s leave that alone.
Gastonia is not picturesque, and it certainly doesn’t look like any fairy tale. The pictures in the TikTok were mostly from Switzerland. The actual town is a rural assortment of run-down gas stations and boarded-up mattress stores. The video was part of a comedy series, pretending that incredible famous places from around the world are run-of-the-mill American sights.
Sometimes it’s less deceptive, and more selective. Another TikTok video advertised Yarrangobilly Caves thermal pools in Australia as a hidden, peaceful springs. A travel blogger seeking an ‘Instagram experience’ was therefore shocked to get there and find it packed with kids, crowded as a public splash pad. The TikTokker had obviously very carefully timed their visit to film the popular hot springs empty, or maybe just angled their camera to exclude the picnicking families.
What these stories amount to is – enjoy those gorgeous travel posts on social media, but do your own research before you buy your tickets.
Photo: Constantin Stanciu / Shutterstock