Were you present at your holiday or did you just share it?

If we try to document and share everything with others while travelling, we cannot truly live in the moment – turns out from the latest CHERRISK study*. Results of the research are commented by Katalin Mraz psychologist.?

According to a European study, Hungary is in the top 5 amongst the European countries when it comes to social media usage. Being hooked to these platforms may result in a number of negative effects on someone’s life. We at CHERRISK were interested in the connection between social media and travel experiences, so we ran a study about these topics during the last days of summer. The following article describes the findings and some expert thougths behind them.?

Planning your dream holiday?

Many of us start planning the perfect vacation?during the winter months, while others begin to roam the internet for the right destination?only a few days before their annual leave. Our decisions are influenced by a number of things and even the way of searching can effect the travel experience. Majority of the research participants?search online during this preparation phase, Google and other search engines proved to be the most popular tools to prepare. Personal recommendations are still very important, friends and family ended up being the second most valuable source of information. At third place came the recommendation sites like Tripadvisor.?

Our study showed that people who take out travel insurance are more likely to try new experiences. Good news is that more than two thirds of respondents regularly get insured.

The role of social media has drastically changed within the past decade. The research proved that these platforms have an important role in getting inspired and choosing the right activities for our?holiday. According to respondent data, Facebook (Meta), Youtube and Instagram are the most popular social media sites in Hungary. The information available on these platforms can influence our choices and help us get closer to our dream holiday.?

“Social media offers an abundance of possibilities for getting inspired about travelling, since many people share their photos, videos and articles about their travel experiences. This allows us to learn about new places, new activities and gets us inspired by the experiences of others. It may even help is become more open and adventurous while planning our next holiday.” - we learned from Katalin Mráz psychologist in an interview we had with her about the effects of social media on travelling. She highlighted as a positive that we can have interactions in certain groups on the social media platforms, which may help us in getting a more realistic picture about our destination.?

What makes a holiday great??

The theory of social comparison is neither new nor harmful in all aspects of life, however the perfectly composed images on social media platforms in large quantities may bias our sense of reality.?

“It is important to understand, that the images and stories presented on these sites show only a small part the life of whom post them. This part?focuses usually on the best and most positive moments. In reality we all face hardship and challenges, everyday problems, which are not showcased usually on social networks.” - the expert emphasised.?

The CHERRISK study found a strong connection between the amount of social media usage and comparing ourselves to others. People who constantly scroll through these apps even during their holidays are more likely to compare their own pictures to those of others. Those who are more likely to compare their pictures are more likely to get disappointed if their photos are not as perfect as they see the pictures of others.?

“If we constantly compare ourselves and our lives to the unrealistically perfect picture projected by the social media, it may lower our self-esteem and overall happiness.” - added the expert.?

Do it right ?

According to Katalin Mráz psychologist “If we concentrate on our own needs during the holiday instead of trying to live up to the expectations of others, then we can experience true relaxation and recharging our?batteries. Self-knowledge can help us for instance in choosing the type of holiday, which we really need and the activities that match our interest, therefore they can give us real joy.” The CHERRISK summer campaign supported this idea by offering a fun online test, which helped people to learn what their travel type is and what kind of activities match their needs. It only depends on us how open we are to these new experiences.?

The key for a good holiday is to know ourselves and it doesn’t hurt if we read?the psychologist’s tips so that we can prepare for our next holiday more mindfully.???????

*The online questionnaire study was run by CHERRISK between 28th August and 5th September 2023. Results are based on the answers from 832 participants. The questionnaire was promoted on social media platforms and via e-mail.?