Survey: Nearly Seven in 10 Americans Report 'Travel Dysmorphia' Driven by Social Media
Study of 2,000 U.S. adults finds widespread feelings of inadequacy about travel, with cost and life commitments cited as top barriers
Nearly seven in 10 Americans say they have experienced “travel dysmorphia” — a sense that they have not seen enough of the world compared with others — and social media is a leading trigger, a national survey released this week found.
The online poll of 2,000 U.S. adults, commissioned by Scenic Group and conducted by Talker Research, found that just 48% of respondents are satisfied with how much they have traveled in their lifetime. Over one-third said travel posts by friends and family contribute to feelings of inadequacy, and roughly the same share pointed to conversations with peers.
Generational differences were prominent. Among Gen Z respondents, 47% said content from influencers and YouTube contributes to travel-related insecurity, and 55% said social media makes them feel “behind” in life overall. More than a quarter of Gen Z (26%) and millennials (27%) said they feel embarrassed about their travel experience or perceived lack thereof.
Only 10% of respondents said they have achieved all the travel goals they set for themselves. Cost was the most commonly cited obstacle, named by 63% of those surveyed, followed by work commitments (19%), family responsibilities (19%) and logistical fatigue (18%). The study found a persistent interest in international travel despite those barriers: nearly one-third of Americans reported they have never left the country, while only 12% said they do not intend to ever travel abroad. Respondents said they hope to see an average of 22 countries in their lifetime.
Popular aspirational destinations included Japan and Paris (each named by 24% of respondents), Greece (19%), Australia (17%) and Puerto Rico (16%), with smaller shares citing more remote locales such as Antarctica and Vietnam (5% each). In the next five years, 44% of respondents said they hope to visit somewhere entirely new.
Trip preferences varied by age. Beach vacations and road trips were most popular overall (37% each), while 25% said they were interested in all-inclusive escapes. Cruises drew interest from 28% for ocean voyages and 18% for river cruises, with 6% expressing interest in polar expeditions. Younger adults showed distinct tastes: Gen Z respondents expressed interest in seasonal trips like holiday markets (20%), while Gen X leaned toward historical and cultural tours (22%). Across age groups, wildlife experiences (22%), wellness retreats (13%) and culinary trips (12%) gained traction.
The survey also found shifting attitudes about travel planning. Older adults reported scaling back long-held bucket-list thinking in favor of shorter, more achievable trips: 25% of baby boomers said they are focusing on smaller travels, and 14% of Gen X said they are choosing more meaningful destinations. Gen Z respondents said they prioritize travel with friends and family (21%) and are more likely to say “yes” to opportunities (17%), while 21% of millennials said they aim to make the most of every trip.
“These findings speak to the deeper emotional realities surrounding modern travel. Travel has become more than a milestone — it’s now a marker of fulfillment and success,” said Ken Muskat, president of Scenic Group USA and LATAM, in a statement included with the survey release. Muskat said the research indicates a shift from deferred bucket lists toward building travel into life sooner rather than later.
The survey was administered online between June 6 and June 13, 2025, and sampled 2,000 U.S. adults split evenly by generation (500 Gen Z, 500 millennials, 500 Gen X and 500 baby boomers). The findings describe self-reported perceptions and intentions rather than clinical diagnoses and do not establish causal relationships between social media use and mental health outcomes.
Mental health experts have previously cautioned that social comparison on social platforms can contribute to anxiety and feelings of inadequacy, but the study does not offer clinical assessments. The Scenic Group–commissioned research underscores how travel has become entangled with personal benchmarks of success and suggests that many Americans are reconsidering how, when and why they travel as a component of life satisfaction.