It's a habit they developed from 20 years of low interest rates and low inflation. They won't realize they're paying 27% interest and 20% more until they get their monthly minimum payment demand. I've been getting slammed with credit card offers. I even got a free $100 to sign up for a Discover card(which I'll never use, just take the free money and run).

I had a caretaker with 6 kids who told me she has $6k credit card debt. I told her how much interest she's paying and she should get rid of that debt. So she had her daddy pay it off. Anyway, I wonder why credit card defaults are at a decade high and it hasn't even peaked yet?

There's one more dynamic going on. Fatalism is the plate du jour for most people now. They know they will never own a home, their rent will go up until they're homeless, their job could go away at any moment, they'll never get a spouse and kids, prices will just keep going up, etc. So they just blow all their money as soon as they get it.

What’s wrong with traveling? You can travel with a girlfriend and have more fun than you’d have alone with her.

I do think it’s annoying how these people all make it part of their personality, but seeing different places is not inherently wrong nor is it necessarily some kind of cope. I do think, however, that women who travel alone or with friends are trash. Realistically women should do everything with their parents, then with their husband.

Is Traveling the new cope?

[all the negative aspects of traveling you listed]

It doesn't read like coping so much as trying to keep up with the Joneses. Spending money they don't have to impress people they don't really even know and who don't care.

That's not coping. That's just making bad decisions.

I have to admit I get a bit of FOMO

You're only human. FOMO is natural, but can be overcome.

1) be rational about this shit (and this reads like you mostly are)

2) don't look at travel porn; stop eating your heart out. Focus your mind on other things.

The dystopia we were concerned about during the rise of Instagram is happening right now: cyborgs perfectly integrated with social media apps. The image, the persona you create on the internet, that's what all humans live for. Gotta get used to it.

I a way yes. For example I've seen so many posts on here of men doing explicitly to accomplish a goal such as getting laid or finding a non-wester. wife instead of traveling because, for example, they want to see a beautiful destination for itself

So yeah, i think even men are cope traveling instead of doing it to experience the world. I also think a lot of women travel for exotic tingles (dick) instead of destinations.

Traveling often seems to be secondary to other goals people have now

It sounds like you're butthurt and projecting.

People like to share memories together. Its rather myopic to say that they don't have a good time.

At any rate, this doesn't sound like a red pill question.

Travel has become a bit of a status good, esp since the rise of Social media.

People travel differently now - they seem to be just keen on creating content for their feeds.

travelling for its own sake is retarded.