Gen Z slammed for new airport security trend that's being called 'gross' and 'stressful'

A new Gen Z airport habit has gotten a ton of pushback from older generations for being 'one of the worst trends of all time'.

It seems as though with every new Gen Z trend comes a flurry of backlash from older folks.

Sometimes these 'new' trends are actually pretty standard and definitely not something Gen Z has invented, as with trends like 'silent walks'.

However, sometimes the anger is likely for the best, as Gen Zers are oftentimes known for going too far in the name of aesthetics.

And this new trend is being slammed for making travel far more difficult for no good reason.

The new trend has been accused of holding up lines, taking up space and time, and generally making the airport experience even more frustrating.

“I really hope we’ve reached peak stupidity. I can’t take much more of this,” said one frustrated onlooker.

So, what is the frustrating airport trend? Well, to fill you in, the trend is pretty simple, all things considered.

Typically, when you are going through the TSA line ahead of your flight, you are made to put your items inside a TSA tray so that you and your items can be quickly checked before proceeding with your day.

While this is already a frustrating and tedious process to start with, some Gen Zers on TikTok have decided to take out each of their items, lay them out neatly, and take photos of their trays while others wait behind them in line.

So, pretty unsurprisingly, this act of making the most annoying part of travel slightly more drawn out for your fellow airport-goes has not gone over well with people online.

However, some defend the people doing this, as many say they make sure to remove themselves from their position in line or wait until after they’re done getting checked to shoot their aesthetically pleasing photos of their TSA tray.

Some of them aren't even at the airport when they take the shots, faking the whole thing at home.

Nevertheless, some are still not fans of the trend, as it’s seen as a generally unnecessary thing to do while going through a stressful experience like TSA.

“This trend stresses me out,” one commenter online admitted, “look at all the little things you can leave behind!”

Ultimately, though, as long as the people participating aren’t wasting others’ time or getting into altercations as a result, the TSA themselves don’t even view the trend as much of a problem.

A TSA Spokesperson told USA Today their stance on the trend, saying: “As long as the staged glamour photos are not causing delays or issues with other passengers in the checkpoint, there are no issues."