It is argued that many tourist destinations are visited primarily for photography purposes rather than to learn about the specific place. I believe that people take selfies to gain popularity on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and to receive appreciation. Visiting these iconic sites solely for snapshots is a negative development as it harms the beauty of the environment.
Social media platforms play a significant role in people’s lives. Regardless of age, individuals tend to take photos of themselves in popular locations to post as backgrounds on websites in order to attract attention from friends and followers. Many people, especially youngsters, have thousands of followers on Instagram, which increases their popularity. Some do it for enjoyment, while others post to demonstrate their capabilities. For example, in Sri Lanka, the number of tourists at historical sites like Thirukoneswaram temple and Fordfredrick fort has increased in the past decade, not to learn about the history of the ancient monuments, but to take pictures with the statues.
One major disadvantage of this trend is that it can damage precious destinations and their cultural values. For instance, some places like Sigiriya cave in Sri Lanka restrict photography to preserve the original paintings’ color quality from being affected by flashlights. However, people still take photos with these paintings out of curiosity to share on social media. This not only impacts the quality of the paintings but also diminishes their cultural significance.
In conclusion, the majority of people visit famous places to take photographs for social media posts to receive appreciation from viewers. However, I strongly believe that this has a negative impact as it devalues the ancient places and their history.