Main character energy is taking over public places.

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Picture this: You're on the train, trying to decompress after a long day, when someone starts having a full-volume phone conversation about their relationship drama. Or you're at the cinema, and someone's talking through the entire thing. Welcome to the age of main character syndrome — and honestly? We're all guilty of it.

Main character syndrome is essentially the delusion that you're the centre of the universe. And while we should all be the protagonists of our own lives (that's healthy!), the problem arises when we start treating everyone else like supporting characters in our personal indie film.

Let's be honest — we've all been that person at some point, whether it's having a heated debate with a friend in the quiet carriage (sorry, not sorry, but also actually sorry) or getting in the way of people going about their day to capture the perfect photo. It starts from a good place — self-empowerment and confidence. But it can quickly mutate into a type of oblivious entitlement where we become seemingly unaware that other people exist and have feelings too.

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And nowhere is main character syndrome more visible than in the world of travel. What used to be about experiencing new cultures and creating personal memories has transformed into a quest for the perfect, Instagram-worthy shot.

I do want to clarify, there is no judgement here, because I am 100% guilty of this myself.

But it does make me think how much culture has changed. Now people save specific photos of exact shots they need to get in different cities. The result? Massive queues of travellers waiting to recreate the exact same image that thousands before them have captured, all while pretending it's a spontaneous moment of wanderlust. We're no longer just visiting places — we're staging our own personal photoshoots with increasingly elaborate props and outfit changes.

This shift has real consequences, and locals are not having it. Cities across Europe are struggling with overtourism, leading to coordinated protests across the continent. From water pistol attacks in Italy, Portugal, and Spain to anti-tourism graffiti in Athens, locals are pushing back against what they call "touristification" — where tourism success is prioritised over local wellbeing and their ability to, you know, actually live in their own cities.

Image: Getty

Don't get me wrong — I absolutely love that people are putting effort into their travel looks and researching the most beautiful spots in a new city. Getting full glam for your European adventure? Chef's kiss, I'm here for it. The commitment to serving looks while navigating cobblestones in heels? Respect. And if you're able to do that without disrupting the local day-to-day too much, then more power to you.

We used to take photos just for memories or to prove we were somewhere significant. Now there's a very specific aesthetic and vibe we're all chasing, complete with colour-coordinated outfits and poses that look effortless but definitely took multiple attempts. Not to mention, the tourists that take main character energy ten steps further and act entitled towards locals or behave like their needs are the only ones that matter. Those who go to foreign countries and expect locals to speak English. The ones who disregard the intricacies of a different culture and behave disrespectfully.

Here's the thing that gets me: isn't the beauty of travel supposed to be that you're not the main character? You're anonymous, irrelevant even. You're an observer watching an interesting culture unfold around you, maybe getting lost and discovering something unexpected, or having a conversation with a local that changes your perspective. There's something truly liberating about being a nobody in a foreign place.

But main character syndrome has flipped this on its head. Now we approach travel with an attitude of "I'm on MY holiday" rather than "I'm in YOUR country." We expect everyone to serve us and accommodate our needs, starting from the moment we board the plane to when we return home.

Image: Getty

Look, I'm not writing this from some moral high ground while I plan my heavily-curated Instagram feed. I'm definitely that person scrolling through saved Instagram posts, planning my own "candid" shots and researching the best lighting times for that iconic bridge photo.

The point isn't to shame ourselves or others — it's to recognise that we're all living in this main character moment together, and maybe we could all dial it down just a notch. Maybe the solution isn't to stop being the protagonist of our own lives, but to remember that everyone else is the protagonist of theirs too, and nobody wants to be an unwilling extra in your personal reality show.

After all, the most likeable main characters are the ones who are good friends to the supporting cast. They don't have to be selfish or inconsiderate to others to be interesting. Perhaps the key is finding that balance between celebrating ourselves and respecting the stories unfolding around us, even if those stories don't make for great content.

So next time you're queuing for that perfect shot in Santorini or letting your phone ring in a quiet café, just remember: we're all main characters here — and that's exactly the problem.

But hey, at least we're all in this beautifully chaotic, overly documented mess together.

Feature Image: Getty.