TikTok Bans Video Trend of Students Stealing School Property

TikTok’s newest ban on “devious licks” movies actually introduced out my inside Old. Considering the loopy issues the Youth and others do on TikTok these days, I sincerely thought the youngsters have been out licking issues in a pandemic, which is each alarming and gross. Thankfully, I used to be flawed, however the different is maybe extra disturbing: These movies apparently present teenagers stealing issues from their colleges.

On Wednesday, TikTok instructed Insider that it was eradicating hashtags, blocking content material, and redirecting searches for devious licks, a development that surged in recognition this month and included college students reportedly stealing every part from projectors and microscopes to plastic spoons and paper towel holders. The firm said that the habits violated its neighborhood tips.

“We expect our community to stay safe and create responsibly, and we do not allow content that promotes or enables criminal activities,” a TikTok spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to Insider.

Although the corporate mentioned it was blocking the content material to discourage stealing from colleges, on the time of publication of this weblog we may nonetheless see dozens upon dozens of devious licks, reminiscent of these linked above.

According to Urban Dictionary—which was my go-to supply for this weblog—a lick is “a successful type of theft which results in an acceptable, impressive and rewarding payday for the protagonist.”

I’m undecided what the spectacular or rewarding “payday” will be for stealing these typical white plastic spoons, which break should you simply breathe on them incorrectly, however I assume it’s web glory. That’s uh, so price it, I assume. But what do I do know, I’m an Old.

It’s not clear what number of teenagers determined to turn out to be small-time criminals all within the identify of devious licks, however we will take a guess primarily based on the variety of movies utilizing the sound most related to the development, which is referred to as “if i accept your valid.” There have been greater than 122,000 movies the final time we checked.

In a Facebook post noticed by Insider, principal Toni Zetzsche, from Florida’s River Ridge High School, requested dad and mom to speak to their college students in regards to the licks and remind them that they’re breaking faculty guidelines and the regulation.

“We will investigate every single video, we will monitor and use social media footage to catch the students responsible and we will ask for law enforcement intervention in every situation while also providing school discipline at the maximum level allowed,” Zetzsche mentioned.