People are angry at Gen Z taking photos of airport trays. Here’s what’s really going on

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN

(CNN) — No sooner have airports introduced new scanning machines so you don’t need to unpack your carry-on bags, than a trend emerges where you photograph all your loose items in your airport security tray.

The “airport tray aesthetic” has taken off on TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest as people share artfully arranged shots of their sunglasses, shoes, toiletries and reading material inside the regulation polypropylene dishes.

Don’t expect crumpled plastic bags stuffed with toothpaste and Pepto-Bismol. This is aspirational travel, where your 35mm film camera nestles between your vintage loafers and your first-edition copy of “On the Road.”

It’s the latest in a line of trends where people curate their possessions for a public showcase, from bookshelves to bedside tables to even the insides of our refrigerators. (Yes, “fridgescaping,” which involves storing flowers and picture frames alongside your butter and eggs, is now a thing).

However, the trend is ruffling more than a few feathers, due to the airport security line being one of the top places in the world where it’s imperative to avoid dilly-dallying.

Think-pieces have naturally been spilling forth.

The New York Post slammed the “time-consuming trend” as an influencer-led blight upon the nation’s TSA lines.

The UK’s Metro newspaper said that “‘the anxiety-inducing trend’ risks you becoming the most hated person in the airport.”

Comments on Shop Pursue’s TikTok video showing young women preparing for a “girls’ trip” by organizing their Adidas Gazelles and Louis Vuitton bags on a bench range from “ik the people behind yall were annoyed waiting” to “you would get tased in JFK for this.”

However, like many things happening online, all is not quite what it seems.

In a TikTok video with 82,000 likes so far, New York-based influencer Chelsea as of Late gives a step-by-step tutorial on following the trend and not being a nuisance.

The key, she says, is to do it after going through security: Find a quiet spot and “if you have time set up a few different trays, cause why not?”

That, however, is still an area intended for travelers who need it for necessary repacking of items or for a more urgent rest stop.

Let’s also not forget that with all those shoes passing through security trays, you may as well be laying your items straight out on the floor. In 2018, a European study found that airport trays are the least hygienic part of the airport, carrying more germs than toilets.

So while hand sanitizer doesn’t typically feature in these airport tray photos and videos, it should probably play a key part in the aftercare.

The trend has unsurprisingly been a huge hit with marketing teams around the world, with brands including clothing and homeware retailers Anthropologie and book publishers Faber all posting their stylized boxes.

Storage solutions brand Stackers told CNN, “This trend specifically aligned perfectly for us, curating an aesthetic selection whilst focusing on our travel-friendly products.”

A lot of the most delightfully organized boxes don’t involve a trip to the airport at all.

In one of the most popular TikTok videos on the “airportaesthetic” hashtag, with 1.8 million views, Chicago-based content creator Piper Taich gives a tutorial explaining that her airport security tub was purchased on Amazon and her boarding pass was edited on Photoshop.

She then curates her travel-themed selections to her heart’s content.

“If you’re asking what the point of this is, the point is that it’s fun and that it’s art,” she says. “It’s a really fun way to express my love of fashion and thrifting and artistic direction.”

The rise of social media and increasingly advanced and accessible filming and editing software means that individuals are able to put together home-created masterpieces like never before, from dance videos to comedy sketches to makeup tutorials.

Against these pros, there are the cons. With rose-tinted snapshots of other people’s lives flooding our feeds 24/7, the social comparison is having a big impact on mental health, especially for younger people.

As for the airport tray aesthetic, while people might be getting het up at the idea of Gen Z holding up the line for some navel-gazing, the US Transport Security Administration is sanguine about the risk.

“The TSA has become aware of this trend recently,” a spokesperson told CNN. “As long as the staged glamor photos are not causing delays or issues with other passengers in the checkpoint, there are no issues. Travelers should take care to secure their IDs, passports and any light items on top that could be swept out of the bins when they go into the machines.”

For a screen break during their flight, some virally minded travelers might consider “rawdogging” – what we used to call staring out the window. And when you reach your destination, you can always put your phone down and go for a swim or a hike – life has to be lived before we can document it.

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