Rugby fever, Facebook dislikes, and selfies
Rugby fever has hit the UK this week with the start of the eagerly-anticipated Rugby World Cup 2015. In an effort not to miss out on any of the action, TFL and partner ITV will be treating Londoners to live updates in a number of stations and on platforms throughout the city. With live score and news updates there’s no escaping this great event.
This week Facebook announced the development of a ‘dislike’ button which has been met with a mixed reception by the general public. The social media giant launched their popular ‘like’ button in 2009 which immediately prompted a call for the introduction of a dislike button, however now that this is becoming a reality users are concerned that the new feature will promote negativity on the platform and increase levels of trolling among users.
Snapchat has launched its first in-app purchase this week. The update allows users to pay for extra replays on top of the current one free replay per day. The update has also seen the introduction of ‘Lenses’- a new feature which allows users to add rainbow tongues, tears, wrinkles and various other effects to their selfies. While Twitter users appear to love the lenses update, many have complained that the new replay feature should be free.
One of the most popular outdoor recreation parks in Colorado has been shut due to visitors’ selfie obsessions. With over 100,000 visitors per year, Water Canyon Park is popular with tourists and has a number of reservoirs, trails and is home to rattlesnakes, over 40 species of birds and bears. Denver Water, the manager of the park, took to Twitter last week to announce that the park is closed due to people with selfie sticks getting too close to the bears. The representative said that ‘the current situation is not conducive for the safety of our visitors or the well-being of the wildlife’. It shows the lengths people are willing to go to in order to take the perfect holiday selfie.
And finally, those who have just arrived back from a summer holiday are probably guilty of committing at least one annoying tourist habit which have been outlined in depth on a Reddit forum dedicated to travel bugbears. Unsurprisingly the majority of these habits are based around social media. People are most annoyed by others posting incorrect facts on social media – yes people still mistake Tower Bridge for London Bridge! Also high up on the list are those photo albums of a ‘holiday’ which are filled with selfies rather than the actual destination.
Courtesy of Siren Communications
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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