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This past September, a new TikTok trend encouraged kids to do another crazy thing. These trends tend to be destructive to the young people involved and the environment around them. Now, as of Sept. 29, 2021, these trends are rumored to continue into the year, as reported by the HITC news site.
Kids across the country got influenced to do something because of something they saw their peers do on the internet. This is nothing new, as there is no doubt a well-documented history of harmful trends online having real-world consequences. This new TikTok trend, called the Devious Lick, was about stealing or “catch a lick” from school bathrooms. It led to students vandalizing their bathrooms and leaving no one with a safe space for peace of mind.
Bathroom stalls were taken down, urinals and toilets ripped out in some instances, doors, and tissue or paper towel dispensers stolen. Anything that could be ripped out and messed with was done so for views. According to Dexerto.com, bathrooms were a prime target for these pranks as most of the things found in them were already ruined.
The response from students and the schools were mixed. Some students found the trend funny, but school administrators were not laughing. The Devious Lick has caused some schools to lock up bathroom materials. Some schools have even mandated that students wear clear backpacks. This trend is raising distress because of how destructive it became. Those concerns are not dying down anytime soon.
Let The Games Continue
The Devious Lick trend may have died down with the end of September, but October has a new trend of its own. The new challenge is called “Smack a Staff Member.” This trend is supposedly followed by more trends for the upcoming months. They include:
- September: Vandalize school bathrooms
- October: Smack a staff member
- November: Kiss your friend’s girlfriend at school
- December: “Deck the halls and show your b***” (show your private parts)
- January: Jab a breast
- February: Mess up school signs
- March: Make a mess in the courtyard or cafeteria
- April: “Grab some eggz” (another stealing challenge)
- May: Ditch day
- June: Flip off in the front office
- July: Spray a neighbor’s fence
These trends are only rumors but are circulating on social media. Many adults on Twitter have criticized the trends, showing support for teachers and pleading to students to have more self-control as they go back to school.
Written by Chiagozie Onyewuchi
Edited by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
HITC: TikTok’s Shocking School Challenges List 2021 Revealed; by Ellissa Bain
Dexerto.com: TikTok’s controversial Devious Lick challenge set to continue with “slapping” of teachers; by Connor Bennett
Fox11 Los Angeles: Bathrooms vandalized, items stolen by students in viral TikTok challenge; by Hailey Winslow
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Solen Feyissa’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by Iamreallygoodatcheckers Courtesy of Wikimedia – Creative Commons License