Since the creation of social media and the need to post every single thing we do, the attention we get from it is a whole new kind of adrenaline rush. Most of the time these stunts have some kind of danger involved. Most say they’re ‘doing it for the Gram’, like that is supposed to make it justifiable. Here’s a thought: just enjoy the view or experience in real time without bringing harm to yourself or others!
According to a source at LADBible, one such young woman decided to perch herself atop Pedra Da Gavea mountain in Brazil for the perfect Instagram shot. As you can see from the picture above, that is quite a high distance from the ground, 3,000 feet up to be exact (ladbible.com 1). Fortunately, she did not fall and whoever took the pictures did not either. But there have been plenty of examples where people were not so lucky at taking the risk.
This anonymous woman did get many likes but also did receive some criticisms: “It’s not worth it and the picture just makes me think that you’re a vain idiot”, “Really. Even if they don’t die and get that ‘cool shot’, I still find the picture lame because they clearly risked their life (and possibly the lives of others on the ground below) to get it”, and one on the dark side “Was anyone else kinda really hoping that she accidentally slid off? I mean that would have been hilarious” (ladbible.com 2). The last comment is over the top and not in the least bit funny but the other two do make valid points. Social fame should not be these people’s top priority and yet it is. Some will do anything to get their 15 minutes of fame, anyway they can and at any cost.
These Guys Are Enjoying The Hike, Not For The Gram Fame
Here’s a video of some tourists from Australia who are recording their hike up Pedra Da Gavea but are there to enjoy the hike and the views, not for the Insta-fame.
This one young woman who just rocketed her Insta-fame is not the first and certainly won’t be the last person do this. In fact, I’m sure this is probably going to convince more people to try it because they saw her do it so they must be able to do it and do it safely. Truth is, someone or more than just one person is going to get hurt or worse because the fame some people crave is a kind of addiction. Social media has given people this false sense of reality, in which everyone in one’s friends circle and beyond actually really cares. The internet is full of haters! And those haters bring people crashing back down from the high they were on and can have devastating consequences. But there is no real end in sight to this, so the cycle will continue. My advice: don’t become an influencer! Be who you are and know that some people are going to love it and some are going to hate it. But don’t base your decisions about everything on complete strangers. Just go out there and do you!
Featured Image: Shinagawa, Leonardo. Pedra da Gavea. July 13, 2013. Retrieved via
