Updated
Updated · BuzzFeed · Jun 21
Readers Cite 25 Things Popularity Ruined, From $75 Campgrounds to $80 Nail Salons
Updated
Updated · BuzzFeed · Jun 21

Readers Cite 25 Things Popularity Ruined, From $75 Campgrounds to $80 Nail Salons

1 articles · Updated · BuzzFeed · Jun 21

Summary

  • 25 reader submissions expanded a discussion of things "ruined by popularity," spanning travel, hobbies, food, media and local destinations that commenters said became pricier, more crowded or less authentic.
  • Prices were the most common complaint: campgrounds at $75 a night, convention autographs at $50, con entry at $60, breakfast at $25, nail salons at $80 and weeklong road trips topping $1,000.
  • Crowding and commercialization ran through many examples, with readers pointing to Instagram-packed waterfalls, lottery-style Comic-Con tickets, congested Sedona and Santa Cruz, and craft shows or breweries they said lost their original character.
  • Several comments framed the shift as a broader consumer backlash against corporatization and convenience tech, citing ad-heavy cable, pricier streaming, AI-weakened internet search, dashboard screens replacing car controls and tip prompts spreading across everyday purchases.

Insights

Has widespread popularity only brought high prices and crowds, or are we overlooking the benefits it creates for communities and industries?
With costs rising for everything from nature to Netflix, can anything popular remain affordable and authentic for the average person?