DISASTER TOURISM
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The hit HBO miniseries "Chernobyl" has skyrocketed interest in the 1986 nuclear disaster that claimed thousands of lives and cast scrutiny around those that visit the abandoned area near the site.

Chernobyl's Exclusion Zone was officially opened to tourists in 2011, allowing visitors to wander around the eerie ghost towns. The Pripyat amusement park, with its rusting ferris wheel, provides a popular backdrop for shutterbugs. 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

A viral tweet featuring many of the tourists to the site characterized the photos as being taken by "Instagram influencers." A narrative grew on social media that many of those posing for photos were being disrespectful or selfish.

 

 

However, writing at The Atlantic, Taylor Lorenz disputes this, saying many of the photographers appeared to be ordinary Ukrainians and the selfies weren't meant to offend but were merely reflecting the "shifting norms around how people document their lives and experiences on Instagram."

 

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