WOMAN'S HILARIOUS PURCHASE FOR COUPLES HOLIDAY INSPIRES INTERNET
When a screen-free vacation just wasn't realistic, one couple decided to give their phones a holiday treat with some hilarious purchases.
A video posted to TikTok by Gabs (@gabsbrown_) went viral for revealing an amusing—and genius—addition to their vacation luggage: pink and blue "phone umbrellas," which latch onto their devices to make their screens more visible and protect them from sunlight.
Since the video was posted on June 7, it has received three million views and over 260,000 likes.
"POV: You get you and your boyfriend phone umbrellas for holiday," she captioned the video, which revealed clips of the two on a phone and a Nintendo Switch sunbathing. "These phone umbrellas coming in clutch for our holiday."
But some people in the comments were less than impressed with the couples' desire for screen-time while sunbathing on a warm holiday.
"Who goes on holiday to just go on their phone/Nintendo," one person wrote, to which some argued that it's a nice activity to relax with. One commenter also noted that traveling as a long-term couple can lead to a lot of quiet and down time anyway.
Mostly, though, people just said they wanted one themselves: "This is a need," one person wrote.
Gabs posted other content of the couples' holiday—including yet another vacation-specific gift she got for her boyfriend: a tacky beach shirt complete with the ocean, mountains and ships. After she presented him with the shirt, her boyfriend covered his eyes in disbelief before begrudgingly trying it on.
Phones and holidays: A generational divide
While Gabs and her boyfriend were called out by people in the comments for using their phones on vacation, many on TikTok are having another conversation about the young person's urge to plan vacations themselves on smartphones.
A TikTok trend pointed to the reality that many Millennials plan vacations on their laptops, while Gen Z are comfortable doing it on their phones.
Social media expert Mark Weinstein previously told Newsweek that this generational divide has to do with, unsurprisingly, the development of technology over the years. Since Millennials grew up with phones that didn't have all the functions as smartphones have today, they are "hardwired" to use computers for big tasks and purchases.
"Millennials remain more comfortable with keyboards and larger screens for important tasks, such as work, banking and travel," he said. "They use their smartphones for social apps, texting, ordering food and so on … Gen Z are happier using phones for everything, while Millennials prefer laptops for big tasks that require extra prudence."
The presence of phones for and on vacation isn't very likely to fade—and soon, there may be even more new technology involved in travel planning.
"Looking ahead, Gen Alpha will integrate AI seamlessly into all areas of their lives," Weinstein said. "That's the evolution of today's digital landscape."
Newsweek reached out to @gabsbrown_ for comment via TikTok.
2024-06-10T15:53:45Z dg43tfdfdgfd