From today's NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/world/europe/selfie-vacation-damage-majorca-paris-ibiza-rome.html

From posing naked at Machu Picchu to filming their dives from hotel balconies into courtyard swimming pools, travelers across the world have been indulging in what officials and travel experts describe as an epidemic of narcissism and recklessness, as they try to turn vacation hubs and historic sites into their personal video and photography props.

Selfies aren't the problem. Travelers have been doing that since the invention of the camera...though tripods were used back then. ;-)

Mass tourism is the problem. I just saw RT tickets from London to Bangkok for around $500. And of course zero dollar tours don't exactly bring in high quality tourists. The world has become a very small place now. For better or worse.

Am in the Baltics now. Way too many tour groups! Insane.

Often I believe things like this boil down to a fundamental question, which is - "would you be doing what are doing if nobody was watching right now, or will get to know about it later on such as captured video, a photo or blog post?". If people are honest, I reckon there are a 'lot' of things that people do or visit because of an audience.

It applies to backpackers, it applies to general antics from short stay holiday makers. Overbearing narcissism is upon us now and dictating so much of what people are doing. If you see yourself as a performing monkey (or others online see you as theirs) then you'll play up for those 'likes', those 'tags' at any cost. If nobody is watching now or nobody is watching later, are you going to do / say / visit this that or the other?

Not trying to be rude, but most selfie sticks I've seen have been wielded by Asians.

Not trying to be rude, but most selfie sticks I've seen have been wielded by Asians.

Try Tebowing....that's might ( W_____ e) of you..

Not trying to be rude, but most selfie sticks I've seen have been wielded by Asians.

Try Tebowing....that's might ( W_____ e) of you..

Actually, it was pointed out by my Asian wife...