The Nefarious TikTok Challenge

Social Media

The rise of the TikTok challenges involving deviant student behavior has burdened school districts nationwide at a time when we continue to adapt to serving students during a global pandemic. It’s another example of how educators have had to adapt quickly to the socially networked world.

I will never forget my first experience with a rapid notification system when I was a communications officer. In minutes, I could write, record and send phone and text messages to all families. The power to be the first to report incidents to families quickly waned with the 2007 introduction of the smartphone, which accelerated the use of Facebook and Twitter through the development of apps. Suddenly, on-the-ground reporting by students diminished our ability as school leaders to be the first to communicate.

The challenges that dared personal behavior to be captured on video and distributed began relatively harmlessly. There was the ice bucket challenge to support ALS funding (good) and the “cinnamon challenge” that encouraged individuals to eat a spoonful of dry cinnamon (bad). The launch of TikTok upped the ante.

Most recently, the “devious licks” TikTok challenge encouraged students to steal or vandalize school property, resulting in 80 soap dispensers being ripped from the walls of bathrooms at several of our district’s schools. Our damage last September was minor compared to others, who suffered damages to light fixtures and mirrors and theft of smartboards and equipment.