Traveling and Instagram are no longer separated. Why do we publicize our travel photographs via this social platform?
I regularly see my friends posting their experiences in Hong Kong, Seoul, Prague, Paris and beyond on Instagram. Our news feeds filled with aesthetic images, quotations and hashtags. Traveling is no longer a luxury; it has become a necessity.
Multiply the numbers of people that can now afford to travel abroad by the increasing numbers of people who have Internet access day by day and, thanks to bigger Internet penetration, you have this trend on Instagram. Traveling definitely became more exciting after Instagram came to life. We follow influential accounts and we love the mesmerizing content. We become inspired and we then inspire our friends and other users through images we share.
I am one of those people who exclusively utilize Instagram to share my travel pictures with the public. I don’t post photos of myself, fancy restaurant or café foods, dearest people, and quotations. I just don’t think Instagram is the right medium for those. Through social media, we let others know about things that matter to us. It’s a way to express our interests and outlook on life and I choose to share my travels.
As someone who mainly writes about travel, storytelling has always been my passion. I have the opportunity to share cultural, local and historical experiences from the places that I visiton my Instagram page. I try to write informative captions as well. I basically treat my Instagram as a gallery. I didn’t really mind if many people enjoy it or not because everyone has their own taste when it comes to travel but hundreds of likes always comes as a pleasant surprise, right?
In the Hierarchy of Needs, as stated by Abraham Maslow decades ago, is the classic psychological theory that helps us to define why we are posting our travel photos on Instagram. There are two important needs to note here: esteem needs and self-actualization. We have to attempt to accomplish these necessities, but which of thesereflectsour intention more?
Esteem includes prestige and feelings of accomplishment. Deep inside, we don’t want others to look down on us so we strive and thrive. Likes on our Instagram give us a boost. Then there is self-actualization, where we basically do creative activities to achieve our potential. This then becomes related to one’s personal growth. If you ask me, it’s the latter. I learned a lot from traveling and Instagram but I didn’t realize I would actually become more open-minded and engaged with my field.
Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves why we post our travel photographs, whether it’s a selfie or the destination, on this beloved photo-sharing application. One thing that we can all agree about is that we do so for the spirit of sharing all things positive. We send good vibes to others, and we tend not to contain our own excitementwithin us.
Doesn’t that mean we love life through our travels? Well, I’m sure that is the case if we really know the reason we decide to keep our memories on Instagram.