Having a “raw” dog in this viral fight could be deadly.
Social media clout chasers are “raw dogging” flights, with no entertainment whatsoever, in droves, making the bizarre stung the buzziest travel trend of the summer. No music, no streaming, no sleep — just staring at the map on the seatback screen, or nothing at all, in silence.
Some passengers take it to another level, opting for no food, snack or drink as well, no matter how long the flight.
The trend has been loosely credited to the Apple TV+ series “Hijacked,” where Idris Elba’s character, Sam Nelson, is forced to endure the more than seven-hour flight from Dubai to London without any amenities once his airbus becomes commandeered by crooks.
The phenomenon started to become mainstream, with high-profile passengers bragging about taking to the skies raw.
“Just raw-dogged a 7-hour flight (new personal best),” Wudini, a UK DJ, bragged to his over 13.2 million TikTok viewers. “No headphones, no movie, no water, nothing.”
Australian musician Torren Foot shared his 15-hour journey to Los Angeles in a viral raw-dogging video in which he said: “No music, no movies, just the flight map.”
Erling Haaland, a Manchester City football star, posted about his boring flight, too: “Just raw dogged a 7 hour flight. No phone, no sleep, no water, no food, only map. #easy.”
But experts warn that it can be detrimental to one’s physical health and can even be deadly to the “idiots” who take part.
Nutritionist Toby King explained to travel site Inspire Ambitions that raw dogging a flight could increase the risk of blood clots, which “can break off and cause a blockage of the arteries in the lung, which is very serious and can cause death.”
“This is one of the most dangerous trends I have seen on social media in a while, and while it looks innocent and a bit of fun on the surface, this could have deadly consequences and I would urge people to use sense when traveling,” King said.
Dr. Gill Jenkins, a general practitioner who also works as a medical escort in air ambulance transfers, echoed King’s thoughts.
“They’re idiots,” Jenkins told the BBC. “A digital detox might do you some good, but all the rest of it is against medical advice.”
“The whole thing about the risk of long-haul flying is that you’re at risk of dehydration,” Jenkins added. “If you’re not moving you’re at risk of deep vein thrombosis, which is compounded by dehydration. Not going to the toilet, that’s a bit stupid. If you need the loo, you need the loo.”
Travel experts have advised against the trend as well.
“We advise enjoying the flight,” an employee of the flight-booking app Netflights declared, the Daily Mail previously reported.
“With low oxygen pressure on flights and a change in humidity levels, an increased amount of water evaporates from our skin and lungs when flying, so it becomes increasingly important to stay hydrated and consume liquids when flying,” the travel pros cautioned.