Social media may be ruining our public lands but it could be used to save them, too
October 10, 2019
If you went on a hike and didn’t immediately post photos from the top of the mountain, did you even go hiking at all?
Every couple of months for the last few years, major news sources have been sharing article after article from concerned nature lovers decrying the effects of social media on the great outdoors. In 2018 alone, more than 318 million people visited U.S. national parks, a 16% increase since 2008. This overpopulation, exasperated outdoorsmen argue, is not just an innocuous result of influencer culture but a direct contributor to the rapid degradation of public lands.
A self-proclaimed mountain enthusiast, I am guilty of finding hiking inspiration from the photos I see on my Instagram feed. I am also guilty of feeding the social media monster by geotagging my adventures. After all, what is the point of having an Instagram account if I’m not going to post a carefully curated highlight reel to make my 1,500 closest acquaintances jealous?
Thanks to the rise of social media, a simple swipe of the finger gives anyone, anywhere access to nature’s “hidden gems”. Is this necessarily a bad thing? No. Public lands are meant to be enjoyed by all, not kept secret. Is the resulting degradation and mistreatment of land a crisis that needs to be managed? Absolutely. But to be clear, a fiat against geotagging is not going to solve it. Instead, the government should capitalize on the benefits of influencer culture and utilize online platforms to locate and educate those who are visiting its prized lands.
A picture is worth a thousand words but what about the bucks?
National parks need the money and President Trump shows no indication of plans to follow in the footsteps of National Parks founder Teddy Roosevelt. Whether it’s opening up public lands for private enterprise use or siphoning $2.5 million of national parks money for an Independence Day celebration, one could argue that America’s public lands don’t have a friend in Trump. So how can national parks make sure that they have money? Entrance fees.
In 2018, national parks generated $40 billion for the U.S. economy on visitation revenue alone. Despite this, the park service still has a significant maintenance backlog. With over 400 national parks and 20,000 employees, the National Park Service needs a lot of money to operate successfully. If the government isn’t going to raise the budget to address this growing backlog, what else can it do? It can continue to encourage visitation from the millions of Instagram users each year while also dedicating some effort to making sure they use the land safely and respectfully.
Public lands don’t hate you but those who love the land might
Earlier this year, CNN reported that on average 6 people die in U.S. national parks every week. The causes of the deaths vary but every once in a while, someone dies trying to snap the perfect photo or from going off-trail. Going off-trail may seem harmless, but it can have lasting consequences outside of the increased potential for dying. The government should prioritize educating current and future visitors about these consequences. It already has the perfect platform and model for doing so.
In response to the high occurrence of “people behaving badly outdoors”, one internet vigilante has taken it upon himself to name and shame those who decide to break the rules. Fed up with the mistreatment of public lands, he created the Instagram account @publiclandshateyou. From sharing the “leave no trace” principles to calling out influencers for stepping into protected lands or flying drones in a no-fly zone, this one account has shouldered much of the burden of what the Department of the Interior should be doing itself.
It’s time for the government to step up
Recently, the Mount Rainier National Park Instagram account commented on the photo of a prominent influencer. The photo was of the influencer and her partner standing out in a field, clearly off the trail. The comment said something along the lines of, “Hey, great photo but it looks like you’re off the trail. That’s not good. Here’s why.” It was a simple interaction but it spoke volumes. The government should be doing more of this. It should be reaching out to park visitors on these platforms. It should be utilizing geotags to find them, engaging with them when they are exhibiting terrible behavior, and commending them when they are doing the right thing. It should be putting more resources into educating visitors on what good stewardship of public lands looks like.
Do I think this is a perfect solution? Of course not. The problem is a lot more complex than a silver bullet fix. But as a strong believer in the power of the outdoors, I do think encouraging the use of public lands and educating would-be users on how to do so safely is a better answer than trying to discourage visitation.
President Roosevelt once said, “We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.” Public lands aren’t just for public use. They are also for public care. But for effective public care, the Department of the Interior must motivate the public to do the work and it will need to harness social media to do so.
So, visit national parks, take some photos, post them to Instagram, but please stay on the trail.