Tik Tok can be fun and educational, but it’s also very influential with each new trend. Some of the most dangerous videos and trends can lead to health issues and getting into trouble with school or even the law.
The Health Issues
Mental health is very important in the human body, it affects the way we think, feel and act towards others and ourselves.
Many young children have an app called “Tik Tok”, which can be very worrying. The more they watch non-age appropriate content, the more likely they will be to copy and try to look or act like a certain person. Some believe that TikTok can promote content related to depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. And sometimes, those types of videos on the app videos that could “trigger” you in.
TikTok trends can be so dangerous they leaving you or someone in the hospital. In Tustin, California, Lana Clay Monaghan was the victim of a prank located in a Target store by teens that led her into hospitalization on March 28th, 2023. The prank is called “Bucket Prank.” It’s described as when you're in a store and you get a bucket and place it over a random person's head and run away to catch their reaction.
Monaghan is a mom of twins and was shopping for herself in the self-care aisle when she felt a bucket go over her head. She said "It obscured my vision," and "I couldn't hear and I really couldn't breathe and I immediately grabbed for it and started screaming for help." Once she did get the bucket off her head, she saw the group of teen boys recording with flash on and laughing at her. The last thing she said was "Help," and she began to cry.
Later on, she said she suffers from epilepsy and the sudden stress along with the change of the lights and sounds caused her to pass out. She hit her head and didn't gain consciousness until she arrived at the hospital. Monaghan now fears that the video of the prank will be posted and go around. They have not caught the teens who did this harmful prank.
School Trends
The next Tik Tok trend involves middle school, highschool, and even some colleges and all over the U.S. This TikTok trend even happened here at Costa Mesa High School. This trend is called “Devious Licks.” It’s a challenge where kids steal something from school property to show off in a Tik Tok video.
Here at CMHS, people in the restrooms were stealing the soap-dispensers. This led to having the restrooms being temporarily closed due to students not stopping this trend and thinking it’s just a cool video opportunity. Even some of the teachers' property was stolen, and administrators had to start asking students to stop stealing things during the morning announcements over the loudspeaker. Even some teachers took time out of their classes to talk to the students about how this challenge is unacceptable. Other schools have dealt with students stealing toilets, sinks, and even projectors in classrooms.
Trend That involved The Law
The most harmful trend in TikTok that led to jail time was the Orbeez Challenge, which was trending on the app during 2022. It featured participants using air powered guns to fire Orbeez water beads at strangers. In Volusia County Florida, the sheriff’s office arrested nineteen year old Sean McMullen on March 9th, 2022. They suspected him of shooting an Amazon delivery driver in Deltona, hitting him in his glasses and his neck while he was driving his route. He also shot another adult and a ten year old child in the face and chest.
McMullen accounted several charges of shooting into an occupied vehicle, child abuse, and two counts of battery, according to Volusia County jail records. Many other people have accounted for charges doing the Orbeez Challenge all over the world.
Worst Party Trend
This challenge is called the “BEEZIN” challenge where teens, adults, and kids apply a peppermint or a minty lip balm such as “Burt's Bees” on top of their eyelids to get a “buzz” to apparently add an additional tingling sensation to the experience of already being high or drunk. This challenge can lead to chemical irritation to the eyelids themselves. Ophthalmologists, eye specialists, say they see redness, swelling, and inflammation in patients that have tried this trend. The products can get into the eyes and cause tearing, redness, and painful burns to the surface of the eyes. In severe instances, it could lead to scarring or vision loss. Also, using a product that you have used on your lips then onto your eyelids can cause an infection in or on the eye.
