'Turn it off': how technology is killing the joy of national parks

Andrew Studer was admiring a massive lava fire hose at Hawaii Volcanoes national park when he spotted something unusual: a small quadcopter drone flying very close to the natural wonder pouring hot molten rock. "There were other visitors sitting out relaxing in somewhat of a meditative state, just trying to enjoy this phenomenon," said Studer, who recently captured a viral image of a drone hovering near the lava. "I do feel like drones are extremely obnoxious, and I'm sure it was frustrating for some of the people there." In recent years, there have been growing concerns about technology invading national parks, with drones and other noisy gadgets disrupting wilderness areas, wildlife habitats and other recreational areas. While the boom in drones has increasingly spoiled the natural sound that the National Park Service (NPS) is charged with protecting, there has also been a rising number of reports of social media use leading hikers to snap inappropriate and dangerous selfies, threatening wildlife and the environment in the process.