Under no circumstances should we ignore the importance of taking pictures and sharing them on Facebook, Instagram and other social media. But nowadays, when I travel, all I see are people taking pictures and staring at screens instead of taking in the scenery. Some people think sharing photos and discussing with friends are the real traveling, but in my opinion, you only get the most out of a trip if you put your phone away and immerse yourself in your surroundings.
Experience the local culture and life during your travels. Most people travel to relax. Relaxing can be easily found when we go into the forest, go to the beach and take a vacation in the village.
Take myself as an example: last year I went to the Anhui Province Dabie Mountain, a very poor place in China to teach students and to relax. During that period of time, I put away my phone, leaving myself no means of communication. By disconnecting from social media, I was able to connect to my surroundings. I just enjoyed the time playing with the native kids and experiencing the beautiful nature. I felt totally engrossed in the local conditions and customs.
The other experience I remembered was the orientation adventure with my team members from Pitzer. During that four day trip to the Big Bear in San Bernardino, there was no any Internet or services for each member in our team. So, we hiked, kayaked and sat together with all the group members sharing hobbies, cultures and expectations for colleges. For us nternational students, this experience not only helped us integrate into the discussion with native speakers, but also practice our language skills.
Secondly, people can familiarize themselves with new people, and places without their phones. Several days ago, I attended “Global Leader Students Summit” with 100 other Chinese students and 500 American students. From my perspective it was a “culture trip” instead of a real physical trip. During my time in the summit, there was a rule from the sponsor, which was “put away the cell phone during the panel discussion.” In my group, I discussed the content of the summit with nearly 20 students and we still keep in contact. For Americans they make a lot of Chinese friends during the panel discussion time and during their traveling time in Shanghai, as for me I learned the valuable friendship during the traveling in my hometown.
Above all, forgetting the mass media can help everybody learn the local culture and make new friends!
