To geo-tag or not to geo-tag: How technology is affecting the outdoors
By Mariana Duran
As more people head into the outdoors, people have been increasingly geo-tagging impacted locations. It may seem harmless, but this practice could be detrimental in the long run.
During the 2020 pandemic, people were encouraged to stay indoors. Many people's lives were disrupted as they were asked to refrain from going out in order to lessen infection rates of COVID-19.
However, people turned to the outdoors as a means of escape from being cooped up in their homes. According to a study done by Penn State University's department of recreation, there was a 20% increase in outdoor usage.
National parks also saw an increase once they were able to open back up again, with 15 national parks setting a new visitation record in 2020.
It was not just these outdoor places seeing new numbers, but social media as well with a 61% increase in comparison to normal usage.
All of this in turn has created a growing problem: the geo-tagging of impacted locations that can not handle an influx of people.
The example of Roy's Peak in New Zealand highlights how much a geo-tagged post can increase visitation. It was once considered to be a very remote location with low visitation but you can now find sixty-thousand posts under the hashtag, "Roy's Peak" on Instagram and it has seen a 12% increase in visitor rates.
Theoretically, geo-tagging very popular landmarks within a national park is considered okay because they have the resources to sustain a large amount of visitors. Even so, a gray area is entered when it is a lesser known spot.
The Chasm of Doom, a rock labyrinth once considered a local secret in Joshua Tree National Park, is another great example of how social media can influence visitation with entire guides now giving out directions on how to find it.
This cave requires class three scrambling, basic climbing skills, and passage through a section called "The Coffin" which, is a six foot stretch along the floor where one must squeeze their body through with two feet of clearance from top to bottom.
While no one has been injured in this cave yet, the more people travel through the cave the more likely it becomes that someone can get hurt. Especially If they have no knowledge of the obstacles ahead. There has reportedly been 259 deaths from being attempting to get the perfect selfie in a dangerous location.
Moving away from National parks however, there is a rising trend in local secrets becoming discovered due to Instagram's geo-tagging feature, such as the expansion that Horseshoe Bend saw in Arizona. Without the infrastructure that National parks have, these areas erode rapidly and can damage nearby wildlife and fauna.
From hot springs becoming contaminated with human waste, wildflowers being trampled, to animals becoming habituated from overexposure to people this is a trend that if left to fester will grow into an even bigger problem.
While it is natural to want to share photos with others especially if it will also get them involved in the several benefits of the outdoors, it is important to be mindful of what information is being shared when that photo is being posted in order to prevent an increase in people who might not be mindful about the land.
Influencers are especially notorious for having no regard for trampled areas and have forced a sunflower farm to shut down.
For the last 25 years, the Leave No Trace organization has been at the forefront of advocating for the preservation of the outdoors. They have released a set of guidelines called the 7 Principles which aims to minimize the impact left by people when in the outdoors. Those who visit the outdoors should keep these guidelines in mind in order to help mitigate some of the damage that's done by their visit.
Recently, a new set of principles has been introduced regarding the outdoors and social media which give tips like suggesting to tag a general area rather than the specific location or including other Leave No Trace information in the caption for others to follow.
The outdoors should be for everyone to enjoy. If people are expected to care about the land, they have to get immersed in it in order to develop that appreciation. Even so, it is unfortunate when a beautiful location is ruined because of an influx of people not respecting the area, and that's largely due to people seeing an influencer's post online.
The answer to this problem lies somewhere between more considerate geo-tagging as well as educating the public about the importance of respecting the outdoors that they recreate in.
The more people love the outdoors, the more people will care for and advocate for it as well.