Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
The internet's "Golden Era," some say, is past. Others claim it's still coming. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, we likely all agree the internet isn't all golden.
From dangerous and often deadly trends and challenges to misinformation campaigns and shameless fraud, caution may be your best bet in the age of internet and social media "influencers."
If the pressure of social media can get people to eat laundry detergent, light themselves on fire, point loaded guns at their genitals and believe the world is flat, the question must be asked: How do so many people get drawn by overtly misleading and even dangerous internet trends and online fraudsters?
The Asch conformity experiment, which predates the internet by a few decades, may provide valuable answers and some ever-relevant cautions. Under implicit and explicit social forces, human behavior can take some remarkable and bizarre turns, even leading people to reject demonstrable reality and their own senses to conform or seek approval from the crowd.
Now that the internet has seemingly turned the whole world into what some have called a "global village," social influence and the pressures to socially conform have arguably never been more potent. And in consequence, people, including travelers, are acting out in self-defeating and even dangerous ways.
The supercharged influence of the internet has given birth to a multi-billion dollar marketing industry which is expected to grow tenfold over the next few years. And everyone seems to be racing to cash in on every trick in the book to get your attention.
Given the time and money we invest in our vacations and travels, it's natural to want the best possible return on investment. That is after all the appeal of "influencers" or individuals, who've supposedly put in the grunt work and have crafted an allegedly informed checklist, itinerary or tips that can simply be copied and pasted to ensure the desired outcome.
But an old adage generally employed to warn against fraudsters seems equally applicable to internet checklists — if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
My latest video puts travel influencers and their checklists on trial with a critical examination of several popular travel concepts like "top 10s," "must dos" and even "bucket lists."
You'll witness common examples of people acting recklessly with disastrous results, but you'll also see how a checklist mentality can sabotage your adventures.
Speaking of checklist-travel culture, Linda Veress, public affairs officer at Yellowstone National Park, said, "I see a lot of these (internet checklists) and Yellowstone itself ends up on these lists, being the world's first national park and a very popular destination."
While admitting it's difficult to quantify the effect of internet checklists on Yellowstone, Veress said, "I do think it's very important for people not to be so focused on these top 10 lists and 'must-sees.' There's so much more to Yellowstone."
Widening our gaze beyond Yellowstone, or even greater Yellowstone, Veress's advice transfers effortlessly to other national parks and tourism hotspots, as well.
Shrewd travelers know to remain on guard against travel tunnel vision, brought on by checklist-travel culture. Whether visiting Yellowstone or other hotspots like Utah's extremely popular national parks, there's so much more to these amazing landscapes than the bucket-list attractions, including phenomenal areas outside park boundaries, some of which are threatened and in desperate need of vocal advocates.
Contrary to internet checklists, which both implicitly or explicitly influence you to follow the crowd, Veress advises looking for ways to avoid the crowds like visiting areas in the early morning or evening, or during the off-season when even popular areas experience less traffic. But she also invites travelers to "slow down."
When you slow down, nature has a chance to surprise you with incredible experiences you could never plan — experiences you're all but certain to miss if you race from one checkmark to another, or fall prey to bad internet advice.
Ultimately, the only must-do's are to be safe, be prepared and be courteous to the land, wildlife and your fellow travelers. To that end, Veress invites all Yellowstone visitors to take the Yellowstone Pledge and commit to protecting this precious and popular landscape. Other parks have similar calls to action.
And, if you're looking for some activities or suggestions, make sure to check out the Park Service's to-do list. Rather than a list of "must-see" locations, you'll get some great resources on how to best explore and enjoy the park during any season.
If you want the best return on your travel investment, make sure you can recognize the deceptive tricks influencers use to get their piece of the pie.
