Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/rudi_suardi
Topics: Community, News, Travel, US News, Viral, Health, Mental Health, TikTok, Social Media
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: Community, News, Travel, US News, Viral, Health, Mental Health, TikTok, Social Media
A new viral travel trend has been stirring on social media but experts have warned it could have life-threatening consequences.
A new day, a new trend that people swear by on TikTok when it comes to traveling.
If you have ever tried to catch a few zzz’s on a flight you’ll likely know how difficult this can be for some people, namely because it is difficult to get comfortable.
However, some social media users are insisting this little maneuver will make this a thing of the past. The only problem is some experts have warned it may actually be dangerous.
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The tip is to bring your legs off the ground to rest them on the edge of your seat, unfasten your plane seatbelt and strap it around your legs.
In one video that has been circulating on social media, a TikTok traveler showed herself doing the trend while aboard a flight.
The TikToker, Tanjinayaps, is seen undoing her belt buckle and connecting it again around her lower shins before then trying to get back to sleep.
However, some of her followers remarked at how unsafe this may be in the event of an emergency.
One user wrote: “Highly unsafe and dangerous in the event of emergency. this is not how it is supposed to be used.”
Another agreed and wrote: “A crash isn’t the only type of emergency. You could hit bad turbulence and fly out of your seat when not buckled.”
A third wrote: “In case of an emergency, Chances of survival 0x1000.”
With another adding: “With enough turbulence you’ll hit the ceiling.”
While some social media users have questioned the overall comfortability of the position, ignoring the safety issues, a medical expert said it ultimately might be putting your body in harms way.
Carole Lieberman, M.D., a psychiatrist with experience providing mental health programming for airline passengers, spoke to Fox News Digital about the viral trend.
She said taking the position may increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This is particularly concerning, because DVT happens when a blood clot forms in a deep vein.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, not only can this cause pain, swelling, warmth and redness it can even become life threatening if the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs and causes a pulmonary embolism (PE).
Lieberman said: “This trend is very dangerous because it keeps the legs in a tightly compressed position.
“Deep vein thrombosis can cause pulmonary embolisms, which can be deadly.”