Selfie Obsession: How Photographing Endangered Wildlife and Plants Is Putting Endangered Plants at Risk

Crowds of selfie-obsessed day-trippers have prompted protests from residents and tourist taxes from local authorities in places from Austria to Greece and Indonesia.

But it's not just the views of Alpine villages or historic town squares that are being overshadowed by the growing number of people on their phones, looking for content to post on social media platforms.

The problem is not limited to invading Alpine villages or historic squares, but extends to negatively impacting the natural environment. A recent study conducted by a team of Australian scientists and published in the journal Science of the Total Environment showed that “the pursuit of the perfect selfie” has led to “disruptions in animal reproduction and feeding patterns and the trampling of endangered plant species.”

Social media has made it easier to identify threatened plants, bird breeding grounds or wildlife, bringing large numbers of people into areas that would otherwise be out of sight, explained Rob Davis, a senior lecturer at Edith Cowan University. Curtin University’s Bill Pitman added that the endangered blue-crowned laughing bird has shown changes in nesting behaviour due to photographers’ disturbance.

The team warned that even the “great whale shark” was not spared, with divers using flash photography negatively impacting these slow-moving giants, who often stay close to divers. Orchards were also badly damaged, with flowers “highly susceptible to trampling and habitat alteration” becoming a popular target for social media posts.