There is a full year of monthly TikTok âchallengesâ for schools and this is something parents and educators should be aware of. While this is a reality we all have to face, our kids are online. They are a part of social media platforms, and while these can have benefits like education and connection, there are some pretty big negatives that parents should keep in mind. TikTok is one of the most popular apps right now for young people and adults, but there always seem to be some trends and challenges that are becoming a big hit.
There was a recent ‘slap a teacher’ challenge that parents were aware of, where a student walks up and slaps a teacher and then posts about it online. According to Distractify and HITC, this was just one of the many challenges that are lined up for the year.
Hitting a teacher was the October challenge, and September had the âsneaky lickâ challenge, but there’s more for the remaining months of the year. Maybe now is a great time to talk to your kids about these challenges and the consequences that can come with them.
While some of the challenges appear to be typical prank-type behavior (which is always wrong), some of them are more serious and more than one include sexual assault / harassment. We’re going to make a quick breakthrough here. November seems like “kissing your friend’s girlfriend,” followed by hitting the halls and showing your balls in December. The New Year doesn’t get better with âa chest prickâ and âschool bulletin boardsâ in January and February.
March and April involve more theft and vandalism, with damage to the cafeteria and “catch eggs” respectively. May involves a day off, and June is the big end when students plan to give the major at school reception. Many of these challenges are serious offenses and can result in suspension, deportation and even criminal charges where appropriate. These are choices that children make that could have serious consequences that will follow them for the rest of their lives. That’s why it’s so important to make sure kids understand that these aren’t fun challenges to take on and that it could impact their college applications and future jobs. With young people wanting their moment âviralâ online, this can all seem like their ticket to the big time.
Sources: Distractify, HITC
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