'Ghost' costume TikTok trend sparks debate about privilege

Ghosts are going viral.

Perhaps such a sentence would have caused alarm in 2019 but we’re through the looking glass now so it’s barely worth a raised eyebrow.

Except now a new trend of kids dressing up as ghosts is causing consternation.

Apparently it’s ‘insensitive and ignorant’.

The blowback began after New York Times culture reporter Taylor Lorenz shared a thread detailing the ins and outs of the ‘ghost photoshoot’.

It seems pretty simple; teens dress up in white sheets and then snap pictures.

Entertaining.

Harmless right?

Wrong.

Some people were a little… uncomfortable with the imagery.

Apparently the ‘ghosts’ resemble the garb of the Ku Klux Klan.

Others accused the teens of being ‘white people’ mimicking their ‘ancestors’.

There’s also been accusations that the ghost trend is “ignorant” because women in the Middle East “are forced” to “cover up”.

However, many have said: it’s just a bit of fun.

Like kids have been doing for decades at Halloween.

And people might be overreacting a little.

Especially as it’s teens from all ethnicities and backgrounds taking part.

In fact, people think it was Black creators who may have started the trend.

Halloween fun or harmful folly?