I have been wondering what supports me to walk more than 13 kilometers every day in Beijing without being defeated by back pain. I think it definitely isn't "checking in".
In fact, I detest it. You run such a long way just to go to a place, take a photo, and show off by posting it. It satisfies your desire for self-expression. This makes me feel like you are a child lacking love and affirmation, or a blogger who makes money from this.
But why are so many people enthusiastic about doing this? I think it is a confusion that leads to some deception. Checking in itself is not important. What is important is the additional behavior that comes with checking in.
Next, let's analyze the content of the action of "checking in":
- You arrive at a place and then wander around. Finally, you find a famous and impressive scenic spot, take a photo, save it, and post it on your Moments or elsewhere. You receive views, affirmation, and praise from others.
- Obviously, this is a process of doing something for the recognition of others. Maybe for those who pursue this recognition and conform to the collective trend, this is what they need. But for an individual with thinking ability and the realization of self-worth, this is obviously something to be ridiculed.
However, we can find that it actually comes with some other fun, and the key is "wandering around":
- You see many buildings and atmospheres that you think are cool and interesting. You have high expectations for what will happen next, so you continue to look.
- You discover things that you have never seen before or have only heard of but have never seen in reality. The feeling they bring when presented in reality makes you never tire of it.
- In this process, you find that one of your previous judgments was wrong and confused. Now it has been corrected, and you have gained some expanded understanding and knowledge.
- In the process of analyzing certain works, such as architecture, painting, and sculpture, you discover the author's ingenious design and expression. You are amazed and appreciate it. At the same time, you gradually form your own impression and subjective construction of this place and city.
For those who find travel interesting, I think "wandering around" is the reason why you think everything is worth it and continue to travel. So, as you may have discovered, "checking in" is deceptive, a word that conceals the truth. What we pursue is not these, but travel and tourism. As for the souvenirs we buy and the photos we take during this process, they are markers, marks that future us can rely on to return to the past and savor the present.
This is a feast for observers, but also a unique artwork. You are the author, and the content is everything from this trip. At the moment you leave a memento, emotions and memories are compressed, and your subjective content is completed.