Social media challenge brings increase in school vandalism
According to digital anthropologist Giles Crouch, the TikTok social media trend known as "The Devious Licks challenge" is spreading quickly online.
"It is going down to Latin America and it worked up to Canada very quickly," said Crouch. "This is being seen all across Canada."
The challenge features some students destroying school bathroom fixtures while damaging and stealing other school property items.
"Soap dispensers coming out of the walls," said Reign Sherrington, the brother of a Halifax-area student. "I heard at Halifax West High School, they had sinks coming out of the walls."
TikTok is removing "Devious Licks" posts from its platform. Crouch said students likely think it is only a prank, not vandalism.
"This is sort of the digital age version of pulling the fire alarm from 20-plus years ago, when we were in high school," said Crouch.
The issue is serious enough, that Millwood High School sent a note home to parents.
Jenna Kedy is a student at Bay View High School.
"Our school last week sent a huge email that said they wanted people to stop breaking soap dispensers and paper towel dispensers," said Kedy. "And then I started hearing from friends and seeing videos on my TikTok feed from people at various schools around Halifax, breaking soap dispensers and breaking paper towel holders."
Crouch said young people often participate in a social media activityto join the crowd and gain peerre-enforcement.
"They are more concerned about getting social acceptance," said Crouch.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.