Social media has a reputation for being the place to show off the most aesthetically-pleasing travel content; think majestic waterfalls, designer cafe interiors, and stunning architectural gems.
But TikTok is now focusing on the uglier parts of the world.
One of the TikTokers leading the charge is Natasha Gupta (@natooooooosh), who has spent the past few months posting videos of herself zooming in on specific countries using Google Earth’s Street View until she finds an ‘ugly’ location.
Although some viewers debate Gupta’s opinions, most beg for more rather than take offence.
The comment sections of Gupta’s videos are filled with suggestions for the next country she should examine.
It may appear random, but the content has proven extremely popular.
How it all started
One of Gupta’s earliest Google Earth videos, posted in July and focused on finding an ugly location in Japan, has garnered 19 million views; other similar posts on Gupta’s account regularly rack up more than one million views.
Although Gupta was not the first person to use Google Earth Street View searched for content, even regarding ugly locations, she has undeniably struck a chord with fellow TikTokers.
@natooooooosh Replying to @☪︎𝒜𝒹𝒹𝒾𝓈ℴ𝓃☪︎ Natasha exploring Australia until it’s ugly 🇦🇺 #googleearth #asmr #travel #geoguessr #Australia ♬ original sound – Natasha Gupta
“At first it was extremely overwhelming to receive that much attention and comments,” Gupta told CNN Travel.
But she said was grateful to start making “a little money” from her content.
She also liked the idea of “showcasing that all these countries are beautiful in their own right” and “challenging preconceptions” associated with particular destinations.
How the concept was born
Gupta’s Google Earth videos were born out of her desire to explore the world while dealing with realistic limitations of lacking the funds to travel.
She decided to put her own spin on the established concept of the Google Earth search videos she’d seen, and felt social media users would resonate more with the concept if they could see her reactions and facial expressions.
“I set up Google Earth on my laptop screen, recorded that and filmed myself too,” she said.
“I decided on just keeping it really simple … What I was going for was something a lot more chill, just a girl in her room, having a bit of boredom and fun.
“I’m not dressed up, I’m in my PJs. It was filmed probably at midnight, and I just edited it and posted it at 3am.”
@natooooooosh In this video, I explore Japan until it’s ugly. #googlemaps #explore #travel #geoguessr #japan ♬ original sound – Natasha Gupta
Gupta said the best content was clear about what viewers were about to watch; people who watched her videos simply knew she would explore until she found an ugly place, and they were just there to agree or disagree.
Her approach proved successful, and accidentally appealed to viewers as a relaxing form of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) content – something Gupta has leaned into by tagging her recent videos with #asmr.
Challenging ideas
Gupta told CNN Travel she explores random locations rather than picking spots in advance, and has even had her own preconceptions challenged by what she has found.
She said she picked the US state of Ohio based on a comment that suggested it would make the “quickest TikTok ever” – but she ended up finding spots she really liked.
“I want to choose countries that perhaps don’t get a lot of attention,” she said.
“Places like Bulgaria and Poland – I think that’s partially why they resonate with a lot of people.
“All these countries are beautiful in their own right, but we just bar them out because of our preconceptions.”
Although her content developed out of the inability to explore the world in real life, Gupta appears to now have a bit more financial freedom.
She recently posted videos of herself judging places like Milan, Italy and Mallorca, Spain in person, and said this could be the “next evolution” of her content.
@natooooooosh Exploring Mallorca until it’s ugly 🇪🇸 #googleearth #asmr #travel #geoguessr #mallorca ♬ original sound – Natasha Gupta
“I think it’s not so much that there’s any specific place that I want to go, but more that I’m just a lot more open to any places,” Gupta said.
“Because I now know for a fact that any place will have some beauty and somewhere that I would I go, ‘Oh, that’s outstanding’.”