Buzz
Recently, a trend has emerged on the social media platform TikTok where individuals prop their phones against airplane windows to capture the entirety of the outside space throughout the flight, garnering significant attention, especially among the youth. However, this seemingly harmless act actually harbors significant unforeseen dangers.
Images of phones mounted on windows have been widely circulated recently
It is known that this trend originated from a foreign TikTok user. They would place their phone on the airplane window, pull down the shade to secure the phone from falling, start recording quickly from takeoff to landing. The result is a highly captivating virtual experience clip that can garner millions of views for their personal account.
The Vietnamese TikTok community is going crazy over this 'top-notch' trend, led by the hot TikToker Lê Bống. However, from the perspective of those working in the aviation industry, pulling down the window shade to hold a phone for recording is an extremely dangerous act, indirectly affecting the safety of both passengers and the entire flight.
Lê Bống: Popular TikToker born in '95
The controversial clip featuring hot TikToker Lê Bống
Immediately, many flight attendants have strongly criticized this clip and warned other passengers. Phan Quế Chi – a flight attendant shared: 'Since this trend emerged, myself and other colleagues have had to remind 2 – 3 passengers on every flight not to do so. Because pulling down the window shade to hold the phone while the aircraft is taking off and landing is against aviation regulations.'
Flight attendants immediately respond to Lê Bống's cloud hunting clip
Perspective of a flight attendant
Explaining the above perspective, Mr. Đinh Việt Sơn, Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (Ministry of Transport) affirms: 'Placing a phone on the airplane window and pulling down the shade to hold the phone is very dangerous, threatening the safety of the flight as the phone may explode.' Filming on flights, especially continuous filming for long periods, will cause the phone to heat up, combined with the impact of sunlight over time, which poses a risk of explosion.
Mr. Peter Gibson, Communications Director of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), also added: 'It is necessary to open the window shade when the aircraft is taking off and landing for safety reasons. In emergencies, the crew must immediately decide which side of the aircraft is safest to use the emergency exit.'
Keeping the window shade open is crucial during takeoff and landing
Furthermore, according to Business Insider, raising the window shade during the airplane's ascent and descent also has specific effects depending on the time of day. During the day, opening the window and maximizing cabin lighting helps passengers' eyes adjust to the light better. Therefore, in case of any emergency requiring evacuation, the sudden change in light contrast won't affect passengers' vision. At night, opening the window shade aids ground rescue personnel in easily observing what is happening inside.
The truth behind the viral 'cloud hunting' clips, which have millions of views and are filled with praising comments on the TikTok platform, is that the majority of netizens do not approve of this behavior. 'There should be penalties instead of just reminders because many people ignore them. Flying isn't like taking a bus; if something happens in the sky, think about the survival rate. They're all living in a virtual world, disregarding their lives like that and still find it enjoyable, I just don't understand,' commented one user.
The Deputy Director also stated that the Civil Aviation Authority is directing relevant departments to study the impacts to introduce necessary regulations and sanctions. For now, airlines need to remind passengers not to engage in such actions for the absolute safety of the flight.
Posted by: Võ Huỳnh Hương Giang
Keywords: Trend of 'cloud hunting' on airplanes: When virtual life meets deadly danger
