The headline might be current but it’s a tale as old as social media.
Thankfully, no one was hurt in this story, but the chances of that tend to escalate when the number of people in a particular place increases and situational awareness decreases.
And perhaps that’s exactly the motivation behind one Vermont, USA, town’s ban on leaf peepers this season, namely due to social media activity that has gotten out of hand.
In a local news report posted to YouTube, residents of Barnet, VT, describe a situation in which hundreds of cars line up along a street near a particularly picturesque location in order to snap selfies, among other things. The news report interviewees even describe situations in which people bring entire wardrobe changes and corresponding changing closets in order to basically conduct a full-on photoshoot in front of someone else’s private property.
It’s somewhat demented when you really think about it.
Who takes a bunch of pictures in front of someone else’s place and then posts it to social media as if it is, what, that person’s home?
Shared with several million other Instagrammers?
It’s a strange approach to life that seeks to catalogue experiences by making everything look like a catalogue. It calls into question all of that social media advice that encourages people to be “authentic” because there’s no way this kind of thing is representative of a genuine, unique take on the world. And after the outright destruction of many once-ideal spots, who can blame a town for putting a stop to it dead in its tracks?
What are your thoughts on tourist attractions being overwhelmed with selfie-takers? An after-effect of increased exposure or a public nuisance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
We have some other photography headlines for you to check out at this link right here.
[YouTube]
