The Instagram Effect
Summer break has officially kicked off in our house, the kids have been out of school for a week now and our trips are on the calendar. Recent research has shown a significant increase in attendance to outdoor recreational areas. In 2016 the National Parks celebrated their 100th Anniversary and saw huge jumps in attendance, Joshua Tree National park in California saw a 25% increase from 2015 to 2016 bringing in over 2.5 million people. Compare this to in 2011 the park saw just less than 1.4 million visitors. The NPS publishes statistics for every National Park, check out those for your park here. Our favorite local National Park to visit is the Great Smoky Mountains, it just happens to be the most visited with a record number 11.3 million visitors in 2016! Below is a graph of total visitors to the National Parks from 2006-2016 where a huge spike has occurred since 2012. The number of Instagram users in the United States also doubled from 2012-2016, is there a correlation?
I link a large part of the increase to what I am calling the "Instagram Effect". It's Thursday evening and you are scrolling your social feeds but it looks more like the cover of Backpacker Magazine as friends pose with a perfect waterfall, sunset, or mountain peak. Your mind jumps to the upcoming weekend with no plans and weather looks great. You say to yourself, "great we can jump in the car Saturday and spend the afternoon hiking to that location." There it is, the "Instagram Effect" has taken you from a quiet Saturday at home to enjoying the outdoors.
I am completely a victim of the Instagram Effect and credit it to my change in attitudes and enjoyment of the outdoors. I am not John Muir blazing new frontiers, but I enjoy the sense of adventure that comes with exploring a new place with my family. When we moved to the Charlotte area in 2011 we had no idea what outdoor recreation was available, heck we were in the middle of suburbia surrounded by middle-class homes, shopping centers, and restaurants. In Minnesota we were able to go out our back door to hit the nearest trail or drive to one of the hundreds of lakes within minutes of anywhere! Social media has now created that outlet for us to learn and get involved in our outdoor recreational communities. Even after having lived in Northern Minnesota for 27 years, I still look at friend's social media feeds and see new places.
In 2015, over 330 million people visited National Parks. The Park Service likes to point out, that's more people than went to every single Disney Park, NFL, NBA, MLB game, and NASCAR race combined! The question being asked is "are we loving our National Parks and outdoor spaces to death?" I say absolutely not! The increase in visitors only creates more awareness for these places which drives more funding and awareness to keep them protected for future generations. Since their designations as National Parks, these places have never been under so much pressure for protection and funding as they are now in 2017 under the Trump Administration. The proposed national budget cuts 10.9% from Dept. of Interior and 31.4% from the Environmental Protection Agency. The National Park System is already struggling with how to fund its $12 billion backlog of deferred maintenance, under-staffing, and reduction in services. National Parks are working to develop systems which accommodate the extra visitors. Zion National Park introduced a shuttle system to cut down on traffic and a reservation system. If we purchase our concert and sports tickets in advance, why can't we do the same for the most popular National Parks? It is our time to get out there, enjoy them, and get that Instagram photo channeling your inner John Muir.
In an upcoming blog next week I will discuss how families can lower their impact to the outdoor space while enjoying it more fully.
Please also take the time to make a donation to those groups which maintain and protect the outdoor spaces you enjoy most!
Until next time, get out there and keep your kids exploring!
I link a large part of the increase to what I am calling the "Instagram Effect". It's Thursday evening and you are scrolling your social feeds but it looks more like the cover of Backpacker Magazine as friends pose with a perfect waterfall, sunset, or mountain peak. Your mind jumps to the upcoming weekend with no plans and weather looks great. You say to yourself, "great we can jump in the car Saturday and spend the afternoon hiking to that location." There it is, the "Instagram Effect" has taken you from a quiet Saturday at home to enjoying the outdoors.
I am completely a victim of the Instagram Effect and credit it to my change in attitudes and enjoyment of the outdoors. I am not John Muir blazing new frontiers, but I enjoy the sense of adventure that comes with exploring a new place with my family. When we moved to the Charlotte area in 2011 we had no idea what outdoor recreation was available, heck we were in the middle of suburbia surrounded by middle-class homes, shopping centers, and restaurants. In Minnesota we were able to go out our back door to hit the nearest trail or drive to one of the hundreds of lakes within minutes of anywhere! Social media has now created that outlet for us to learn and get involved in our outdoor recreational communities. Even after having lived in Northern Minnesota for 27 years, I still look at friend's social media feeds and see new places.
In 2015, over 330 million people visited National Parks. The Park Service likes to point out, that's more people than went to every single Disney Park, NFL, NBA, MLB game, and NASCAR race combined! The question being asked is "are we loving our National Parks and outdoor spaces to death?" I say absolutely not! The increase in visitors only creates more awareness for these places which drives more funding and awareness to keep them protected for future generations. Since their designations as National Parks, these places have never been under so much pressure for protection and funding as they are now in 2017 under the Trump Administration. The proposed national budget cuts 10.9% from Dept. of Interior and 31.4% from the Environmental Protection Agency. The National Park System is already struggling with how to fund its $12 billion backlog of deferred maintenance, under-staffing, and reduction in services. National Parks are working to develop systems which accommodate the extra visitors. Zion National Park introduced a shuttle system to cut down on traffic and a reservation system. If we purchase our concert and sports tickets in advance, why can't we do the same for the most popular National Parks? It is our time to get out there, enjoy them, and get that Instagram photo channeling your inner John Muir.
In an upcoming blog next week I will discuss how families can lower their impact to the outdoor space while enjoying it more fully.
Please also take the time to make a donation to those groups which maintain and protect the outdoor spaces you enjoy most!
Until next time, get out there and keep your kids exploring!
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