JEDDAH — With more and more Saudis traveling abroad for vacation, some claim that the social media platform SnapChat is contributing to negative portrayals of those who travel abroad, with many young Saudis using the app to document their adventures in different destinations for little more than to show off online. Psychologist Mohammed Bukhari said the mindset of some people creates in them a desire to show off and this is not confined to any particular segment of society. "Everyone is motivated by the desire to do something new," he said. Bukhari pointed out that members of the community are different in their social, economic and cultural circumstances, as reflected by their behavior. He said there are several behavior patterns that have become the norm during travel: people document every step of their trip through social media, making others jealous and desiring to travel also, even if they don't have the financial means to do so. Dr. Arwa Arabs, assistant professor of psychology at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, said social media apps, such as SnapChat, play a role in encouraging some visitors to European countries to show off their luxury cars and ostentatious jewelry, or purchases of international brands.
