Is that this a “fairy” harmless pattern or may it spell bother? A brand new “Fairy Flying” pattern on TikTok has varied individuals posting movies of their our bodies seemingly hanging within the air with out exhibiting what’s occurring above their shoulders. Posts utilizing the hashtag #fairyflying have already gotten over 66.4 million views on TikTok, that means that individuals are flying to this pattern making it already “fairy” in style. The obvious intent of such movies is to look like a fairy flying within the air. Nonetheless, many of those movies present our bodies from the shoulder-down, chest-down, or hips-down hanging seemingly lifeless within the air. You’ve gotta surprise what these photos might set off and what individuals might do to mimic what they’re seeing as a result of that’s what individuals on social media typically do.
For instance, @emmytherattypatty posted a video that has already amassed over 3.4 million views and confirmed a lady together with her again to the digital camera, showing as if she had been floating in a room. As you may see within the following display shot of the video, her head was bent ahead so that you just actually couldn’t see it very effectively:
Now, she was flapping her arms with background music that included the lyrics, “She was a fairy.” And the video did embrace the hashtag #fairy. This might have been a really harmless try at exhibiting a intelligent optical phantasm in good enjoyable. Nonetheless, what was occurring might not have essentially been “fairy” apparent to the entire viewers. For instance, one remark beneath the video learn, “I used to be terrified for my life earlier than I observed what was occurring.” Yeah, “terrified for my life” ain’t precisely a optimistic emotion.
Should you scroll by way of the opposite movies utilizing the #fairyflying hashtag, you’ll discover many various variations of this body-floating-in-the-air-theme. They vary from movies the place it’s apparent that the individual is making an attempt to appear like she or he is flying to people who show solely a pair of legs dangling within the air limp or in some instances even quivering. With out the correct context, a variety of these movies may appear like individuals have hung themselves, which isn’t precisely probably the most comforting of photos. Actually, a publication within the Journal of Little one Psychology and Psychiatry summarized proof from 15 research that confirmed how taking a look at photos of self-harm can result in a rise in self-harm. This may consequence from such photos triggering urges to self-harm and normalizing self-harm so that individuals really feel “extra at dwelling” doing so.
Plus, guess what many individuals do after they see one thing trending on social media? Yep, they attempt to imitate it. Not solely that, they might attempt to one-up it, form of like an arms race. Or on this case an legs and arms race. And this anything-you-do-I-can-do-better strategy on social media may result in some WTF conditions with the “f” not standing for “fairy.”
Naturally, the floating facet of those movies is faux. For instance, if you happen to look rigorously on the video from @emmytherattypatty, it’s a bunch of Crocs. She makes use of a pair of Crocs—maybe taped to her ft—to obscure the probably undeniable fact that she has her ft planted on the sting of the desk all alongside. Sure, shock, shock, she just isn’t actually flying. Somewhat, she’s in all probability pumping her ft up and down to provide that fly phantasm.
Now, the query is how many individuals will fall off desks and tables making an attempt to mimic such a transfer. Or ship the objects on such furnishings flying all over. Furnishings doesn’t usually include the warning, “Don’t try to be a fairy on this.” However standing on the sting of any kind of furnishings isn’t the most secure of positions.
Furthermore, how many individuals might find yourself injuring themselves in an try to up the ante? Suspending your self with wires and varied contraptions may fit in Hollywood when you’ve a complete stunt crew and stage crew surrounding you. However you aren’t Tom Cruise within the film Mission Inconceivable. Making an attempt such a stunt once you solely have a poster of Harry Types watching over you might depart you in a reasonably inconceivable scenario.
Add to all of this the truth that lately you may’t inform what’s actual versus video-edited. The precise means and contraptions used to make it appear like somebody is flying might be closely Pixie-lated, so to talk. So, if you happen to don’t have entry to the identical video-editing software program, you might be trying in actual life what somebody by no means ever truly tried.
This “Fairy Flying” pattern is one more instance of an total social media pattern: blurring the traces between actuality and make-believe increasingly more. Bear in mind, individuals usually wouldn’t have wings and can’t fly. Simply since you see somebody seemingly flying on TikTok, doesn’t imply that you must wing it your self.