I’ll admit it: scrolling Instagram for holiday inspiration is probably—sadly—one of my favourite, or at least most common, ways to while away the time. And yet, I’m not in the least surprised that new research from Icelandair shows social media is actually having an adverse effect when it comes to going abroad. So much so that 47% of us say social media negatively impacts our holidays. That number rises to 77% of Gen Z and 67% of Millennials.
Will that stop me from typing “Euro Summer” into my search bar? No, of course not. But I think there’s value in acknowledging the ‘Instagram versus reality’ disconnect. You see, holidays have been aestheticised. TikTok is stuffed with candyfloss sunsets, sparkling seas, and Pretty Little Thing holiday hauls, all largely void of any context.
