TikTok has Ruined Traveling
Viral recommendations are ruining travel. And the demise of cultural experiences.
The hotgirls? They are no longer “gatekeeping.” We’ve entered the age of social media where influencers are sharing their secrets. No longer are they safeguarding the tidbits that separate them from the rest of the digital ecosystem.
But there’s one thing that should be kept under wraps: travel guides and recommendations.
It’s because of influencers’ picture-perfect moments on the road, geotagged and flouted, that send the masses scrambling to get a selfie in front of a European monument or to snag a TikTok of a meal made for the screen. And it’s ruining travel for the rest of us.
On a recent trip to XXXXX*, my fiance and I spent a rainy day exploring the neighborhood in the European capital known for its bohemian vibe and young people. As we turned one corner we came across a line of people, hugging the walls and huddling under umbrellas. The line stretched down the entire street, jumped onto the opposite side, and continued around a bend. They were scrolling on their phones, oblivious to the beauty surrounding them. Some wore designer clothes better suited for the beach than the rain. One played music audibly from his phone while another resorted to FaceTiming a friend to pass the time (the accent, unmistakably and unapologetically American). The scene looked like college freshmen waiting to get into the hottest club. We decided to follow them to the end of the line, only to find out that they were waiting to get into a restaurant that we had previously seen go viral on TikTok. This line, in the rain, at off-meal hours, was puzzling.
The viral restaurant had more than 58,000 reviews. The Michelin-starred restaurants had about 400 and 500 respectively.
I never tried the restaurant. We decided it wasn’t worth standing in the rain for who knows how long to witness the TikTok pasta IRL. Could it have been that revolutionary? This is XXXXX! The land known for pasta and pizza with hidden gems everywhere you look. Each meal is better than the last and few are worth wasting hours waiting in line. The realization that viral social videos can redirect travelers by the thousands was maddening.
To put this travel virality into context, look no further than Google Maps. I zoomed into the area we had explored. In the same neighborhood as this viral restaurant are two Michelin-starred restaurants. Each has a rating equal or lesser than the TikTok sensation. And the number of reviews? Astounding. The viral restaurant had more than 58,000 reviews. The Michelin-starred restaurants had about 400 and 500 respectively.