What is it about watching movies or reading books on a plane that makes us more emotional? Do we cry more on planes ? A question I repeatedly asked myself every time I fly.
If you cried at movies on flights at least a couple of times, you’re not alone. And If this is the first time you hear this and you think I am a weirdo, keep on reading. Today marks the biggest revelation.
I just love watching movies and series! So, my favorite thing to do on a plane is to watch a movie. But after a few movies on flights, and a couple of books, I started to notice that there is this sort of cycle: I get emotional in the air more than I am on the ground. It sounds dumb but trust me, I’ll explain.
Every time I watch a movie on a plane, I struggle to hold back my tears for the silliest reasons. It felt like as if I just got done chopping onions. It was as if someone messed up with my settings and turned on the emotional sensitivity. It annoyed me so much.
Movies I cried to on an airplane: Lion, Green book, Manchester by the sea, Lion king, the kite runner (the book), Life itself, the greatest showman (this felt so weird, so that’s the reason why I am writing this)
To get the obvious theory out of the way, I’m not a crybaby; I don’t easily get emotional and cry. So, I started to think that it has to do with the altitude, the plane or something else. I Googled it! If it’s true, someone would have answered or at least spoke about it, right?
And that was it! There was a lot of articles, statistics and studies about this. Apparently, Virgin Atlantic found, in a Facebook survey back in 2011, that 41% of men hide their tears on a plane under a blanket, while 55% of men and women admitted that flying intensified their emotions overall.
I was shocked because for so long I thought I was going nuts. It turned out, it’s not movies and book, it’s being on a plane in general that makes people more emotional.
There are a couple of reasons why you find yourself prone to cry more on planes :
1. Altitude
Let’s start with the easy one. The high altitude affects your tear ducts and makes them more sensitive in the air than on the ground. Also, the high altitude decreases the amount of oxygen in the cabin, which causes dehydration. Dehydration causes mood swings and fatigue, which can makes a person more likely to feel sad and prone to shed tears.
2. Stress
All the factors associated with flying have a physiological impact on us. Starting with the stress of packing, getting to the airport, getting through passport control up until the gate on time. Once we make it to the plane and relax on the seat, we get tired from all the stressful process. Being tired from stress makes people sad and more prone to cry. Add to it the uncomfortable environment we are in (airplanes seats are never comfortable unless you are flying business), our bodies and brains get tired and become more vulnerable. The more you stress, the more you are likely to cry more on planes.
3. Not in Control
The idea of losing control when you fly increases your level of anxiety. Your life is in the hands of a pilot you don’t know. So, people who tend to have high level of control are more likely to shed more tears because it’s the only thing they can do in such situations. Not a bad revenge for your control freak boss after all!
4. Goodbye
The idea of leaving your loved ones, and the possibility of not seeing them again gets to you without you even being consciously aware.
5. The perfect set up
The dimmed lights on a plane with the screen light creates a dramatic set up that helps those tears flow easily.
So, what can you do if you get emotional every time you fly?
You can just cry it out quietly or distract yourself by either talking to the person next to you. Or you can force your brain to think by playing crossword or Sudoku. And if you are watching a movie or reading a book, avoid the drama genre and never ever watch “Lion – Nicole Kidman”.
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Omg me too! I am not a cry baby either and on the plane I cried on crazy rich asians! I mean why? most romcom movies are more comedy than romantic 😅😅 glad Im not becoming sensitive. Thanks rahals!!!