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Let's define things first...

Derived from the words web log or video log, a vlog or blog can be defined as a public publishing vehicle that allows anyone to document and share personal experiences online for the enjoyment of others.

The YouTube and Instagram platforms host literally thousands of travel bloggers, or vloggers. Most are desperately clamouring for your subscription and viewing attention. Why? It's mostly about numbers and money.

Many personal travel vlogs are heavily focussed on the tourist perspective and the daily lives of the travellers - probably a result of having to cater to subscribers that are mostly recruited from social media, where personality and lifestyle are often regarded more highly in terms of content value.

Let's take a look...

After viewing quite a few videos, I was left disappointed. Some were excellent, most were not that informative, many made me cringe, and a few raised genuine concerns.

Overall, presentation was often cinematic and the quality of sound and film was pretty good considering some were shot on phones and compact video cameras, but most of the actual content was mind-numbingly trivial, and a narcissistic undercurrent that often accompanies social media made things unbearable at times.

The locations were covered visually, but culture and history were often skipped over, or sounded like the regurgitated results of a Google search.

On the whole, any social interaction was with friends or other vloggers, and the primary interaction was with the camera. The local population were often just a part of the scenery. In non-English speaking countries, some worked with locals who could translate and relate what was going on, which was a better viewer experience, but this then begged the question - why don't we just follow the translator around instead?

Get on with it...

I spent a lot of my viewing time listening to long and unnecessary introductions, and drawn-out stories about the personal antics of the vloggers and how great their adventurous lifestyles were.

Voyeur-cam

I also spent a lot of viewing time in other people's hotel rooms. Speaking personally, I don't want the experience of people waking up and scratching themselves first thing in the morning, or footage of people spread over their hotel bed in little more than underwear. On top of this, I had to put up with non-related chit-chat, other people's friends, couples and their loving ways, skimpy beachwear (often in slow motion), and intimate close-ups of other people's partners or body parts (or am I missing the real point here?).

Infomercial or vlog?

Main annoyances were blatant product plugging, musical image galleries with no references, the over-use of epic or tropical house soundtracks, and the over-done magic of editing software. I also had to endure one-sided experiences such as over-long scenes of on-screen munching, and people 'getting ready' or enjoying themselves. Oh, and please, please stop referring to me as 'you guys'. This implies I'm one of your 'punters' or fans, and I'm neither. I want your personal travel experiences, not a public performance. Those who considered viewer experience and used a more personal point of view, came across in a much more genuine and engaging way.

Errrm...Travel?

I was often left with one question. What happened to the travel? Travel is not about showing me footage of non-descript hotel rooms, airports, luggage and tickets - it's too literal.

To me, real travel is more about place, people and cultures, and, if it's an independent travel vlog, a real insight of what to expect in particular countries. Shopping, touristy observations and laying on the beach in another country is not the same thing. Perhaps a more accurate title for this whole genre would be holiday vlogs.

Real Stories

I can quickly forgive any dodgy camera work and the absence of slow motion and moody soundtracks if the journey really is authentic, and stems from curiosity and a sense of adventure, along with some attempt at communication with local people, with whom the real stories often lay.

A handful of vloggers have these attributes, and things begin to tip over into independent film making, photography, and journalism at this point - a natural course for some of the better bloggers and vloggers who relate their travel experiences really well. Their documentation is still personal and informal, yet informative and considered.

Clouded by gain

Unfortunately, vloggers who have got it right often get lost amongst the nomads and the gonads who are in it for the money, or are working under the terms of corporate sponsorship as travel influencers. This is a very grand and somewhat pompous title that translates in the marketing industry as cheap and cheerful user-generated content (UGC). This kind of content is produced mainly by younger vloggers, who use their carefully crafted content to independently build a large following through social media. The larger the following, the more influence (or 'clout') the vlogger is perceived to have.

The end result is a ready-made audience commercial companies can pick-up without much effort on their part. Inevitably, this sometimes results in dubious practices and infighting (or 'throwing shade' in social media vernacular) as vloggers desperately strive to reach, or maintain this level.

Some argue that this kind of social vlogging is essential for the encouragement of tourist numbers and income for some of the poorer countries, but as always, encouraging the tourist and expat dollar can also trample over environments and dilute local culture. The very thing that was attractive is destroyed by popularity.

For me personally, I prefer the real deal when it comes to travel. Professional travel writers, photographers, and film-makers understand how to prepare, observe, and present objectively. They do a far better job visually, are more sensitive culturally, and there's no inane waffle or personal ulterior motives to clutter the experience. If you want to be inspired, or find out about a country before you go, take the time to find properly researched articles, official information, and documentaries instead.

If you want to observe other people's leisure time and get the tourist perspective, travel vlogs are the place to go. You can find a variety of personal experiences that will entertain and guide you through what to expect as a tourist, and what you need to plan for as an expat. Travel vlogs and social media also gives you an opportunity to get some idea of what to expect before you travel, but keep in mind that some vloggers may be presenting their own (and edited) version of things, and often for commercial purposes.

If you want the real travel experience - why not go and see things first-hand? Maybe the real advantage of being online is access to cheap flights and accommodation. Make a video or two while you're away for 'you guys' who will eagerly await your news.

Thousands of others are doing exactly that (no experience necessary).

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Rich Black ★webstar MMXX

Note: an understanding of social media speak was required during research and might be useful here if you are not into the social media culture. Flex, clout, throwing shade, spill the (hot) tea, and Gram - or in other words - showing off, having influence, being negative about someone, gossip, and the shortening of the name 'Instagram' (respectively).

The accompanying playlist is not intended as a direct illustration for this feature. The opinions in this feature are based on general observations and research by the author, and are not intended to imply or associate specific people or companies. Vloggers and film makers present their own opinions via shared third-party video.

See playlist for references and shared by details

PLAY - Travel Blogs Playlist

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