In today's global age, it is easier than ever for
college students to study abroad or participate in international service
projects across the world. Many such projects involve short-term visits to
developing countries with struggling populations.
Simultaneously, in the age of social media it seems such “service
projects” can become more about the volunteer’s self portrayal on Facebook
and Instagram than about the struggling populations they served.
At the intersection of global service and social media is
voluntourism, which is “ultimately about the fulfillment of the volunteers
themselves, not necessarily what they bring to the communities they visit.” Lauren
Kascak, graduate of the Master’s Program in Narrative Medicine at Columbia
University, writes her own reflection of voluntourism and the narcissism of
overseas selfies: http://tinyurl.com/ovxwg2y.
Did you spend time serving
underprivileged populations at home or abroad this summer? If so, think critically
about your experience, what you learned, and the purpose of your participation.
Although it’s understandable you’d like to share your experience with others,
think about doing so with words rather than iPhone photos.
