Everyone knows that Instagram doesn’t always equal reality, but now there’s actually a study to prove it. A survey conducted by Jet Cost, a flight-comparison site, found that many US travelers may be lying about how much they actually enjoyed their vacations. The survey polled over 4,000 people and about two-thirds admitted to misrepresenting their last getaway.
Photo: Olesya Kuznetsova/Shutterstock
Two-Thirds of Americans Are Lying About How Awesome Their Vacation Was
A spokesperson for Jet Cost told TravelPulse, “Even though it is probably more common than not in the US to have not holidayed abroad, Americans are clearly still feeling the need to appear as if they have traveled.”
Sixty-one percent of respondents admitted to exaggerating the truth about their vacation. More specifically, 34 percent said they represented weather conditions as more favorable than they actually were, 29 percent exaggerated the quality of their accommodations, and 27 percent embellished when it came to sightseeing.
The spokesperson went on to say, “With the modern pressures of social media, people feel as if they have to prove themselves to others, which is a shame. But life isn’t a competition and just because someone says they’ve done something, doesn’t mean you’re less of a person for not having done it.”
A significant number also lied about the amount of alcohol consumed and how much money they spent, and a whopping 52 percent revealed that even if they had a horrible trip, they probably wouldn’t tell anyone. Perhaps most surprising at all, 10 percent of respondents admitted to posting a fake photo on social media to reinforce their lies.
So while your friends might be posting some pretty spectacular Instagram photos, igniting your FOMO, don’t worry. It’s fairly likely that they were miserable for at least part of that trip. 
H/T: Travel & Leisure