Selfie Etiquette: When to Not Take Them

You’re on vacation, having a great time and come across a scenery, a monument, people or even just an experience that is picture-worthy. You’re probably going to reach for your phone and celebrate the occasion with a selfie which is fine, but there are times when your better judgment should trump your need for “likes.” Maybe it’s not an opportune time or place to make yourself the center of focus.

Here are five places where you should NOT take selfies, under any circumstances:

Places Where a Tragedy Occurred

It’s 2019, yet some people lack common sense. The Auschwitz Twitter account recently had to lay a very basic ground rule for visitors who might be confused about where they are.

When you come to @AuschwitzMuseum remember you are at the site where over 1 million people were killed. Respect their memory. There are better places to learn how to walk on a balance beam than the site which symbolizes deportation of hundreds of thousands to their deaths. pic.twitter.com/TxJk9FgxWl

— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) March 20, 2019

The fact that people have to be told NOT to treat the site of genocide as a selfie background is astounding. That goes for any place where a tragedy occurred. Whether it’s a concentration camp, the 9/11 memorial, or any other place where people lost their lives or endured horrendous hardship. Respect the place and what it represents. Refrain from taking a selfie to show everyone how sad or introspective you look. Places like that aren’t about you. Spread awareness by photographing the site, but keep your face out of it.

Places of Worship

Throughout the world, magnificent places of worship exist that are monuments of human artistic ability and faith. Most of us consider ourselves lucky to be able to visit these historic buildings and admire their magnificence. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but it’s important to be respectful of its religious purpose and worshippers who may be using it for that purpose. The most crucial way to avoid being a nuisance? Stay out of the worshipper’s way, don’t touch any sacred relics and keep noise to a minimum.

Places Where You Could Die

I get it. Picturesque destinations such as the Grand Canyon or Foresthill Bridge in Sacramento deserve to be captured. Getting right up at the edge will make for an amazing photo and potentially, generate likes from your followers. But maybe safety is more important. After all, “likes” won’t be able to cure a broken spine.

People Who Don’t Want to Be Photographed

In some cultures, photographing people without their consent (especially women and girls) is hugely disrespectful. You may think it’s “cute” to take a photo of a local girl or a young woman who would look good on the cover of National Geographics, but you could be asking for trouble. And even if people are too polite to admonish you, you’ll be violating someone’s privacy and upset them. So don’t take selfies with a stranger, no matter how interesting it makes you look or how “friendly” you think the culture is. Even when you’re not directly photographing people, be mindful of including them in your shots because they may not want to be.

People in Impoverished Towns

I already shared my thoughts on slum tourism. There’s a respectful way to do it that doesn’t exploit the less fortunate. Part of that is not photographing yourself in impoverished neighborhoods to show how “authentic” your travel experience is. Enjoy the moment, connect with people in a genuine way, put your camera down and refrain from treating people and their less-than-ideal living circumstances like props.

I’m not a big selfie person, but I’ve certainly made some of these mistakes when I first started traveling. I thought I’d share my experience with others.

What are some of the places where you think people should avoid taking selfies?

 

[Image Source: Shutterstock]