When the social media app Tiktok was created, nobody could have foreseen the amount of harm it would cause. It was originally meant to be an app where people could create and publicize fun videos, mainly of dancing and lip-syncing. It has evolved into a space where people dare their followers to do something risky or out of the ordinary. There were many trends that followed: the penny challenge, the seizure challenge, and now the Devious Lick challenge.

The Devious Lick challenge is a trend where people  record themselves stealing random items from school bathrooms and classrooms. Items such as soap dispensers, sinks, and even urinals and toilets have been stolen. Not only is the trend stupid, but when items such as soap dispensers are stolen people cannot sanitize as well, and hygiene is being stressed in schools across the world, especially this year.

When asked about her opinion on the trend, Oakdale High School sophomore Alexia Parisi said, “I  think it was a little funny at first, but I think now it’s gotten to a point where people aren’t just stealing from schools. They’re stealing from local businesses, and I think people might be forgetting that’s illegal.  I just think it’s stupid at this point.” 

Grey Bavender, a junior at Oakdale High School, expressed a similar opinion: “I think people have gone way too far with literally destroying property, taking the toilets apart, and literally stealing from teachers.”

While the devious lick trend seems to be heading for a slow decline, it has made a pathway for future trends on TikTok. Recently, a list of dares was released, with a new dare for each month. Most of these challenges are illegal and can get people in jail. It is not clear when these toxic trends will end, but hopefully they will be over soon. Otherwise, a surplus of students could be in trouble for the foreseeable future.