A foreign traveller has sparked a discussion online after sharing that she felt less worried about using her phone in India than she does in London. The woman, named Emma on Instagram, posted a video reflecting on her travel experience across different parts of India and said it challenged the negative assumptions she had heard before visiting the country.
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Traveller shares her India experience
In the video, Emma can be seen holding her phone while travelling through India. Sharing the clip on Instagram, she wrote: “Controversial … but I actually felt less stressed about my phone in India than I do in London.”
She added that her experience in India was very different from the narrative she had often come across online. “Travelling around places like Kerala, Varkala, Guwahati and Meghalaya completely challenged the narrative I’d always heard before visiting. I was filming freely, walking around with my phone out, and never had that constant ‘watch your stuff’ feeling in the back of my mind,” she wrote.
Comparing it with her experience in the UK capital, Emma said: “Meanwhile, in London? My phone is basically welded to my hand.”
‘This was just my personal experience’
{{/usCountry}}Comparing it with her experience in the UK capital, Emma said: “Meanwhile, in London? My phone is basically welded to my hand.”
‘This was just my personal experience’
{{/usCountry}}Emma also clarified that her post was not meant to suggest that travellers should stop being cautious. She said every destination has its own risks and that her observation was based only on what she personally experienced during her time in India.
“Obviously every place has its risks, and this was just my personal experience. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be careful anywhere. But it’s a reminder that the internet doesn’t always tell the full story,” she added.
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The post has since drawn several reactions from social media users, with many sharing their own views on safety, travel experiences and phone theft in different cities.
One user wrote, "Anything for views," to which Emma replied: "Got my phone stolen twice in London and 0 times in India."
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Another user agreed with her and commented, "As someone who has lived in both places, I understand exactly what she means." A third user wrote, "India has its problems, but the way it is shown online is not always the full picture." Another person said, “London phone snatching is actually scary now, so this is not surprising.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)