A new report by Expedia claims we’re spending an average of nine hours on social media per week while on vacation. This figure absolutely blows our minds and makes us feel kind of sorry for deathbed us, who is almost definitely not going to say, “I wish I’d spent more time on my iPhone.” As 10% of those surveyed said they take up to 15 versions of each selfie to ensure one is fit for posting, we can see how this adds up over the course of a trip during which everything is novel and therefore worthy of a ‘gram.
What’s more alarming, however, is that 44% of the 2,000 people Expedia surveyed said social media actually ruined their trip. To remedy this issue, and save you time on your vacation for actually, you know, vacating, Expedia has devised a tool we think is hilarious. Stay Off Social will post on your behalf, using generic photos from your destination. How it works: Enter your vacation location, how long you’ll be there and how often you want it to post. Then, select from stock photos of said destination, devise captions and schedule posts. Given how impersonal much of social media has become, this doesn’t seem like the most far-fetched solution to us. If you throw in one or two selfies, it might just work to fool your followers, and it will certainly save you from stressing over getting the perfect shot in marquee locations (a serious vacation buzzkill).
If this idea is insane to you, we suggest you consider instead posting to social media after your vacation has ended. Few people post in real time these days outside of Instagram Stories anyway, and this approach will save you time in terms of devising captions and editing photos. Use those nine hours to do what you’re actually meant to do on vacation—relax, imbibe, eat everything in sight and disconnect from your everyday life. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll return from your trip refreshed, reinvigorated and without regrets.
