Peace, Love and Instagram

A few of us still remember those slide shows that used to follow every holiday. Friends and relatives would gather in front of a screen or a canvas to indulge in someone else's holiday memories: Aunt Gloria on the beach at sunset, (a very small) Aunt Gloria in front of Mount Vesuvius , Aunt Gloria on the hotel terrace and even in the pool. And seeing as they weren't your memories of your holiday, you'd pass a relatively dull evening with your prime focus being the solitary bowl of savoury nibbles.

Thanks to Instagram, these slide show evenings are pretty much a thing of the past. You could say that the holiday selfie has taken their place – thanks for that Instagram! It's certainly eclipsed the slide show, because a holiday selfie isn't just pretty boring, it's created a new social pressure as well ("My life is so much more perfect than yours!"). It's starting to cause people to walk around with their heads in their phones, instead of living in the moment. It's changing the world.

Indeed, for a while now, hotels have been kitted out by interior designers explicitly with Instagrammability in mind. Every area, corner and feature are designed to be shareable. Influencers with a wide online reach post their pictures and then the followers do what they do best: follow. Not just online, but to the place the picture was taken. In turn, these picture-perfect hotels increase their own reach and get more business. And Instagrammable destinations also start to draw in bigger crowds. An idyllic secluded lagoon can be invaded by a stampede of snap-happy Instagrammers overnight. Note to self: secret tips on Instagram are anything but secret. If you want to keep them to yourself, it's best to switch off geotagging. Or perhaps not to share them at all.

Now we have to admit that our pool looks pretty good on any timeline. But that doesn't mean that the people lounging around our pool should rush to share photos of it on Instagram. Instead, we'd suggest allowing the peace sign on the pool floor, created by an Italian mosaic artist from Vicenza, to evoke their inner hippy – relaxing in the here and now and allowing peace to filter through. First and foremost, into their own soul. This sort of glorious feeling is also something you can share. Not in a selfie or in a slide show, but simply with the loved ones around you. And surely that's the best reach you can have.