Scholars Analyze the Rise of Digital Dark Tourism in the Online Backrooms

Researchers from Lancaster University Management School are investigating a growing internet trend known as the Backrooms. These digital environments consist of eerie, vacant spaces such as empty corridors and desolate rooms that mimic physical locations but exist only online. This phenomenon attracts "legend trippers" who engage with these surreal voids through shared stories, imagery, and immersive videos, creating a virtual version of traditional dark tourism.

Dr. Sophie James and Professor James Cronin describe this activity as "para-terrestrial dark tourism." Their study, published in the Annals of Tourism Research, suggests that users are increasingly seeking intense emotional experiences in non-physical spaces that still feel vivid and meaningful. This shift indicates that the internet is evolving from a mere tool for information into a destination in its own right, where users can collaboratively explore the unknown and embrace ambiguity.

The trend is moving from niche internet communities into the mainstream, highlighted by an upcoming film production from the studio A24. This cultural expansion underscores the significance of how digital environments can alter the human perception of presence and exploration. The researchers argue that the traditional definition of a tourist destination must now expand to include these collaborative, non-physical digital experiences.