A new TikTok trend is taking storm in many school districts around the country, causing high schools to shut down bathrooms and implement measures to make sure the vandalism and theft rates that were caused by the trend decrease.
With this new trend bringing distress to many administrators, one can question whether social media actually offers the safe space it claims to. ‘Devious Licks’ – as the new trend is called – was started by @jugg4elias when he stole a box of disposable masks from his school and gained over 239,000 views in a week. A few days later, @dtx.2cent attempted to “one-up” the original post by showing off a hand sanitizer dispenser he nicked from a school bathroom.
This trend, primarily targeted to high school student viewers, quickly gained traction with new people posting not only stolen items but vandalized school property – specifically bathrooms. Thankfully, Roseburg High School has had only a few specific incidents with soap dispensers and a grab bar, according to its principal, Dr. Jill Weber. This was in part due to the amount of tips students reported through Safe Oregon and several staff members. “There was so much willingness to help,” Weber said, “I was really impressed.”
As this trend continues to plague schools, it is important to remember to try to keep schools a healthy and positive environment.