Just a decade ago, selfies, filters and going live on social media was not a thing. You sat in a café overlooking the waterfall and not the likes on your phone.
Flipping through the guide magazines on travel and asking locals for directions and then hitting conversations with them.
Watching the sunset, without filtering it out and coming back home, with memories alone.
From playing dumsharaz in the tempo travel on the curvy roads of Shimla to enjoying the adventure a little more at the moment. Did we leave something behind?
What changed?
I realized these changes while on a trip with my mother.
While I was busy capturing the sunrise through my phone, she thoroughly enjoyed being sun-kissed.
When we're sitting in a café, while I relied on the food influencer to know which food is the best native food, while my mother strikes a conversation with the waiter and asked him which native dish is nice and why?
I remember when the food arrived, I was busy taking food pictures for my Instagram while my mother gorged on the piping hot food.
In the evening, while we were sitting in the balcony, she asked me, ‘ Beta, how do you sum up your trip? I said, ‘ It was nice. Go some really good pictures and my sunrise video got 500 views. Cool na?
My mother was quick to tell, ‘ Did you watch the sunrise? Did you like the food cold?
I didn’t have an answer. She later said, ‘ Travel for yourself. Learn to appreciate the nuances of travel and embrace change. That is what is counted when you say – You travelled.
This conversation not only opened my eyes which allowed me to see, how smartphones are ruining travel for you.
Here’s taking you through the aspects of travel we have ruined as we are spoilt by the over usage of smartphones.
· Looking at the maps and understand the geography of the place.
· A real camera with real reels that actually clicked candid with each picture having a distinct memory.
· Trying the local dishes on your own without the internet suggestions.
· Trying to capture the places, people and lanes through your mind and not the filtered lenses.
· Traveling for yourself and not for your social media.
· Being respectful of people and their knowledge.
Though we should be in sync with the latest technology and changes, removing the base aspects of travel, is not going to lead is anywhere close to having worthwhile experience.
Photo Courtesy: Google Images.