Selfietards at it again...

Amsterdam has recently banned cruise ships from docking at the city's main terminal.

www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/amsterdam-bans-cruise-ships-180982606/#:~:text=Amsterdam%27s%20city%20council%20voted%20last,New%20York%20Times%27%20Isabella%20Kwai.

Other European countries are imposing fines and restrictions amid tourist overcrowding.

economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/visit/these-european-countries-are-imposing-fines-and-restrictions-amid-tourist-overcrowding/articleshow/102470967.cms?from=mdr

The issue is overtourism impacts the residents not only in quality of life but in cost to provide the additional services required. I don't think it is the selfie that is at issue but the impact of the throngs of tourist ganging up to take the selfie.

This summer multiple national parks in the US and recreational areas managed by the National Forest service have implemented a timed entry reservation system to get into the facilities to mitigate crowds larger than the capability of the area to support. Two examples is the Mt. Evans Scenic Byway and Rocky Mountain National Park.

www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-reservations-park-access.htm

It is gotten to the point that the crowds are just too large to not control the flow.

Referring to the "Social Media "stupidity of climbers >>for<< getting a selfie.

It was 1981. One of my colleagues was doing "finger climbing" as a hobby.

He explained to me that he was relying only on his own fingers to keep the body attached to the walls, while his feet were giving him plenty of support for balancing, that was the reason he never went roped.

Short of time on a project, he was not able to go practicing on his usual 80mt hill rock face.

So one evening before it was too dark he decided to climb immediately after work,
and entered the windows on the third floor starting from the garage.

Only a few colleagues were in the office, and what he did was absolutely not for "Show"

Alas, the Chief was also late that evening and was passing in one of the corridors.
Things didn't go well - even if he was not fired,

Taking life-endangering risk on Company premises<< was serious enough

Special people do special things for the Joy of doing them

( selfies may be a plus, but not the main reason )

That was then, this is now...
Hoards of these selfietards are making local folks life a living hell. Put yourself in their shoes instead.

The rise of social media and its impact on selfie culture:

travel.earth/selfie-culture-impacts-meaningful-travel/

These selfie-gaze tourists see and experience the destination largely through their phones and the comments and feedback they receive on their posts. Hardly true travel experience in my mind.
Their satisfaction does not depend on the quality of the destination and experience, but on how well they manage impressions and attract ' likes' and positive comments. Vacuous visitors that are not there to really learn and interpret a sense of place. UGH!

Well, with regards to selfies, alcohol is legal, and I'm thinking, as a percentage of people who drink vs a percentage of people who take selfies for likes, the death and destruction from alcohol is far, far worse.

With regards to doing dangerous stunts, motorcycle and car racing is legal, and the only difference between it and dangerous stunts is many get paid quite a bit for it. Climbing mountains, especially free climbing, base jumping, etc., are legal.

And, if you live in the US, guns.

So, honestly, I don't get the hate. There are so many others to hate on first. Unless y'all have enough time to hate on all of them. I don't, though -- just have time to hate on the people who cut me off and drive slow. I spend a lot of time on that kind of hate. 😁

Not hate, I am sorry for the loss of life and the impact on his friends and family. The point is if you do very dangerous activities in this case illegal that risk your life for likes on social media you are being very foolish. There is no second chance or learning experience in his game one mistake and you are dead , as I say we all make mistakes { now and again 😀} As a lifelong teetotaler I agree about the folly of alcohol and the associated damage to the person and others

This one I’ll give you…

Photo-Seeking Tourist Climbs 16th-Century Italian Statue, Causes Damage | PetaPixel

Couldn't care less what individuals do to themselves if it doesn't affect me in any way. If some clown falls off a building, taking a selfie with his phone, it's no big deal unless it ties up traffic. It's not like there won't be another idiot to take his place. Cell phones are a marvelous emergency tool , unfortunately way too many emergencies are caused by people driving with an emergency tool plastered to their face.

Obviously you didn't read above post
The rise of social media and its impact on selfie culture:

travel.earth/selfie-culture-impacts-meaningful-travel/

These selfie-gaze tourists see and experience the destination largely through their phones and the comments and feedback they receive on their posts. Hardly true travel experience in my mind.
Their satisfaction does not depend on the quality of the destination and experience, but on how well they manage impressions and attract ' likes' and positive comments. Vacuous visitors that are not there to really learn and interpret a sense of place. UGH!

Well, I read it now. 😁

Honestly, I don't see the problem. People want to travel, pose in front of famous stuff and snap a selfie? I don't care. From 2011 to 2017 there have been 259 deaths as a result of taking selfies? Gasp! I was a tad more concerned about the millions of deaths to Covid over just two years 'cause so many refused to social distance, wear a mask, and/or get vaccinated.

Now, what does bother me is things getting more crowded. Last time I went to Zion and Bryce (3 years ago?) there were no fewer than three Greyhound busses carrying tourists pretty much everywhere. I mean, sure, I'm one of the tourists, so, in a sense, I can't bitch, but three Greyhound busses unloading at one location at the same time?! I'll take a few people with selfie sticks any day over the week.

Now, as for the people dying, well, it's only 259 people over 6 years worldwide. Hardly an issue. Texting and driving is more dangerous (and annoying) by miles and miles. And, to be honest, I enjoy watching videos of a lot of those people doing the really dangerous stuff. My only objection is when they put non-participants at risk. Then again, given how I used to ride when I had a bullet-bike, I'm not the one to cast stones.

Honestly, the hate levied towards the selfie crowd seems far removed from their actions, per se. It's like those dumbasses who wear their pants around their knees -- doesn't affect me in the slightest, but I cringe every time I see it. But, like the "selfie menace", I don't encounter it very often, or, if I do, am not bothered by it enough to remember most of the time.

Tourists taking pictures of themselves standing in front of something. Ya, sure. That’s is absolutely a new thing. Tourists never took pictures before 2005. Not once, ever.

There is nothing wrong with anyone taking pictures or themselves or anything else if that’s what they wish to do. And, to the point that they are missing out on meaningful travel, so what?

I too have read studies that suggest that any photographer purposely taking pictures of ANYTHING also does not experience the place the same as a person who doesn’t take images. Some studies have shown that ALL photography changes the experience (some for the positive and some for the negative). So, in a sense, ANY OF US who take a camera on a trip are also changing our experience.

If there is any issue here, it’s about over-crowding. And, of course that is instantly fixable by any locality that wish to fix it: limit tour buses by requiring permits and huge fees, limit ship dockings and greatly increase the fees, hugely increase public parking fees for non-residents, tourism surcharges on train fares for non-locals, huge increases in taxi fares for non-residents, restricted timed entry to venues, huge increases in entrance fees, huge increases in lodging fees, restriction on lodging permits, etc, etc.

When it costs $5,000 in fees to go visit some town in (pick a country)….. guess what? The crowds will be gone. And so will be most of the town’s economy but, if that’s what the locals want, have at it.

There are two tourist town refrains I’m acquainted with. Both predate selfie culture by several generations.

Damn Yankees! Why can’t they stay home and mail us their money? (Feel free to replace Yankees with the tourist pejorative of your choosing, I present it worded as it was shared with me…for the record, I’m a “damn yankee” myself.)

Why do they call it a season if we can’t hunt and kill them?

The problems of tourism have been with us for a long time. Not helped by the fact that the general definition of a tourist includes anyone who moved here after I did.

They are certainly working on that:
Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro says his aim is to make tourism more sustainable in a city visited by 25 million people a year.
www.cbc.ca/news/world/venice-tourism-booking-1.6166137

Oh, but then you have these dorky doo-doo's

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRrd5KZvgLA

Part of the selfietard scenario involves the phonetard scene as well. They encompass the insidious world of social media nonsense that perpetuates issues that are ruining peoples health in many ways. Watch this documentary if you get the time and you will understand better:
www.netflix.com/ca/title/81254224
" The Social Dilemma. The film features Harris and other former tech employees explaining how the design of social media platforms nurtures addiction to maximize profit and manipulates people's views, emotions, and behavior. The film also examines social media's effect on mental health, particularly of adolescents.[6]"

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_Harris

Although previous research has recommended “no selfie zones,” barriers, and signage as ways to prevent selfie incidents, our results suggest this may not be enough, and it may be prudent to also engage in direct safety messaging to social media users.""

www.jmir.org/2023/1/e47202

Selfietards at it again......

www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/06/venice-gondola-capsizes-tourists-canal?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/venice-tourists-selfie-boat-sinks-b2459789.html

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