A scientific guide to updating social media while abroad
Keep them jealous, but intrigued
As everyone knows, when you are abroad, it is absolutely necessary for you to post a certain amount of pictures and updates about your experience. If not, the entire trip would be erased from your memory, as though it never happened, and none of your peers would believe your illustrious stories about being in “literally the clearest waters I’ve ever seen” or “eating the BEST gelato in the world.”
However, there are a set of standards you must meet in order for you to fulfill this criteria. In documenting our adventures online, there are seven steps you must follow in order to get it right:
You must take a picture next to/of a famous landmark
This acts as the first legitimate proof that you are where you say you are. Stand next to something people would recognize, smile, and make it look candid. If you’re too shy to ask others to take this picture for you, take advantage of the photo editing tools available to you and insert yourself into the picture virtually.
Perfect!
You must take several shots of your food, even if it’s the most basic of food
Okay, so all of us has seen what a burger looks like, what fries look like, and what a crepe looks like. But have they seen what it looks like… OVERSEAS? No. So do your duty, and put a filter on it.
Pictured: rare and exotic… nutella
Remember to keep in touch with your friends and family at home by bombarding them with selfies of yourself having more fun than they are
They’re probably already jealous of your Caribbean adventure, but it never hurts to remind them how much better your life is going.
When finding something particularly pretty, always take multiple shots of it and post all of them
It’s a tree! It’s a strip of ocean! It’s something we’ve all seen! But it’s a) foreign and b) really pretty for whatever reason, so bombard it with snaps.
Picture of nice flowers x20
Message your friends and family, telling them you miss them– preferably with a huge smile on your face as you sip on a coconut by the beach
‘Wish you were here!’
When finding something different, culturally intriguing, or just plain remarkable, remember to not focus on the moment itself, but watch it through the Snapchat video you’re taking for your story
Remember the reason why you are abroad in the first place: for the likes.
Finally, post a long, rambling post about how your life has been forever changed by your experience
This is probably the most crucial aspect of this entire aspect. You must let others know that the month you spent hiking through jungles or eating crepes has transformed you into a completely different person– someone more cultured, more open, and more appreciative of the vast, open world ahead of you. Bring back your knowledge to less cultivated folks back in the states. America needs you(r status update).