| TV19

Social media algorithms do not merely mess with your feed, but have a lasting impact on your bucket list and mental health too. Therefore, people are now also talking about travel dysmorphia and it's not a mental condition.

Travelling has become the aspiration everyone is holding dear. It’s no longer the dream of a privileged few but a lifestyle marker for many today. And with the omnipresence of the internet, the pressure of curated #wanderlust is almost inevitable. Simply put, travel is becoming exhausting, and not just physically.

What people are now experiencing has a name: travel dysmorphia. It has nothing to do with physical appearance, but everything to do with feeling insecure, inadequate or “less travelled” compared to peers. The term has been coined by yours truly, ‘the internet.’ It basically reflects the feeling that one hasn’t adequately travelled as much as others.
It’s not a medically diagnosed condition, but it’s certainly one that can take a toll on mental well-being.
According to a survey by Talker Research, one in ten Americans admit to experiencing travel dysmorphia. And honestly, it isn’t shocking because FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) has only grown sharper. You would be lying if you have never saved a reel because it’s either viral, aesthetic, and/or you really wish to explore that hidden beach behind a cave.

When travel becomes the crisis

When you read “travel dysmorphia,” the mind does, even for a flick of a second, go back to “body dysmorphia” — a mental health condition where you constantly feel that your body has flaws or is defective compared to others. And then, you spiral into anxiety, feeling distressed and more.

While this term is not a medical condition yet, it works on a similar emotional blueprint: inadequacy, self-criticism, anxiety about not measuring up, and bit of existential crisis too.

In fact, in the same survey, of about 2,000 adults, less than half of the participants felt satisfied with how much they have travelled in their lifetime. That dissatisfaction is quite telling.

And then, there's social media, of course!

The algorithms had definitely messed with our brains as with the bucket lists too. But sometimes, behind all the rose-tinted Instagram filters, all that exists is disappointment, because not many people know the BTS (behind-the- insta story) ordeals.

And the pressure is relentless. Travel isn’t just a hobby any more; it’s a trend to keep up with. According to the survey, here are the biggest triggers driving the “I haven’t travelled enough” feeling:

Holiday posts from friends and relatives
32 per cent say even casual travel-related conversations raise the pressure
47 per cent of Gen Z blame influencer content

Turns out, people these days feel “embarrassed” about not having enough travel experiences, and it only serves as a reminder of how “behind in life” they think they are.

What might sound vain and ridiculous, travel dysmorphia is only getting real with time and new social media forms of expression — and experts totally agree. Speaking with India Today earlier, Dr Nandita Kalra, supervising counselling psychologist at Rocket Health, explains that social media affects one’s self-worth, identity and validation.

“Many people now measure self-worth through visibility. ‘If I'm not part of what’s trending, do I still matter?’ This mindset disconnects people from their authentic preferences. Instead of asking, ‘Do I like this?’ they ask, ‘Will this be liked?’ That constant chase for the next thing creates emotional emptiness.”

Before you pack your bag

The idea of travel has always been about taking a break, rejuvenating, discovering yourself, or maybe just coping with grief. So, the moment the idea of chasing sunsets, being “beach bums,” or dreaming of waking up in clouds becomes performative more than a private feeling of euphoria, the idea of travel becomes counteractive.

Maybe you are planning your next trip based on where the gram is, what's trending. While it's not inherently a bad thing, however, what is important is to do your own research and, also, maybe not compare.

In the age of social media, the urge to ‘keep up’ is here to stay. But it’s not really about curating vacation aesthetics for the ’gram — it’s about the memories a traveller’s heart carries, and holding onto them without losing your mental peace.