How Come We Can't Find and Arrest These TikTok a-Holes?

[ChetlovesMer]

So today when dropping my kids off at school we got to see police offers everywhere. 

Why? Because there's a "National TikTok Challenge" to send a bomb or gun threat to your school. 

So, schools all across America received bomb and gun violence threats from students. Our school included. I guess the goal was to see how many schools would close down because of the threats. Thus allowing kids one extra day of Christmas break. 

SERIOUSLY? Can we not track down the A-holes who post these challenges and prosecute them, or do all of these things start in Russia or China or something? 

[Double Mocha Man]

At one time there was discussion of outlawing Tik-Tok. Maybe that concept needs to be revisited.

[ChetlovesMer]

The problem is they put these asinine TikTok challenges out there and the 11-14 year old crowd tries to complete them. 

They've had everything from "The TikTok Slap A Teacher's Rear End" challenge, to "Vandalize Your School's Bathroom" challenge, to now the latest "Pose a Bomb or Gun Threat to Your School" challenge. Most kids look at it and go "That's a stupid idea, I wouldn't do that.".

There are, however, enough kids out there that WILL do it. 

[saevel25]

1 hour ago, ChetlovesMer said:

There are, however, enough kids out there that WILL do it. 

I do not know when we thought all kids were wise and if we do not give them bad ideas they will not come up with bad ideas themselves. 

Back in the day (before social media), kids came up with stupid ideas all the time. Like, lets throw a fire cracker in the bathroom toilet. I mean, my class made a music teacher cry and quit. Basically, we didn't like her and we wouldn't sing for her. We didn't know any better. Kids for the most part, are inconsiderate A-holes to begin with, mostly when they try to get smart ideas with other kids. Lack of wisdom will do that. 

That doesn't excuse people weaponizing social media to try to get kids to do stupid things. Or worse, send out bomb threats! or threats of violence! Yea, we do not need people giving kids bad ideas, because they can come up with enough bad ideas themselves growing up. 

Also, it looks like the news hit this the past couple of days. I say give it time. I am sure some people will get arrested for this. 

 

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, Double Mocha Man said:

At one time there was discussion of outlawing Tik-Tok. Maybe that concept needs to be revisited.

Other challenges happened on other platforms. It’s not the platform, it’s the people that are the problem.

[ChetlovesMer]

28 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

That doesn't excuse people weaponizing social media to try to get kids to do stupid things. Or worse, send out bomb threats! or threats of violence! Yea, we do not need people giving kids bad ideas, because they can come up with enough bad ideas themselves growing up. 

Correct!

 

6 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

Other challenges happened on other platforms. It’s not the platform, it’s the people that are the problem.

Also correct.

 

29 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Also, it looks like the news hit this the past couple of days. I say give it time. I am sure some people will get arrested for this. 

I hope so. 

[Double Mocha Man]

9 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

Other challenges happened on other platforms. It’s not the platform, it’s the people that are the problem.

So true, but as Saevel said, some of the platform users are lacking in wisdom.  And maybe the platform builders, too?  I'm just so sad that this is a frightening event for so many kids, and that so many of our resources are being expended today, when they could have been put to better use.

In better years "Snow days" were tacked on to the end of the school year.  Now we have to add in "Bomb threat" and "Shooting threat" days.

[Darkfrog]

First of all, I hate social media for the most part, but Tik Tok holds its own special place of hatred in my heart. There's something about it that just resonates pure, egotistical narcissism that I can't stand.

My kids' school district sent out a message last night about this idiotic Tik Tok challenge, and that they were taking it seriously and law enforcement didn't believe there was any credible threat. I left for work before my wife took the kids to school, but so far I have not heard of any shenanigans at their school this morning. My kids are K and 2nd grade, so I'm not sure if elementary schools would be as likely to receive a threat based on a social media challenge, because I don't know how many K-5th grade kids are active on social media, especially Tik Tok.

When I was a kid, me and my friends did a lot of stupid stuff, but the worst of it were things like egging a house, or drawing phalluses on school property, shooting off fireworks (always illegal where I live), etc. Social media, especially platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram, seems to really amplify a lot of this stupidity.

[KMP]

Shooting threats in our district came to specific students and the school in general. They were sent from an individual on the East Coast. The student was ID'd and was dealt with but there was a great deal of wasted effort on the part of the school admin, police, etc. on both coasts.

[chspeed]

7 minutes ago, Darkfrog said:

Social media, especially platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram, seems to really amplify a lot of this stupidity

The amplification is at the heart of the matter when it comes to Facebook, TikTok, etc. These platforms are designed to spread content, and the content that spreads best is sometimes the most "radical". So while I agree with @boogielicious that the people are at the root of the problem, the social media companies are not blameless IMO.

[GolfLug]

1 hour ago, chspeed said:

The amplification is at the heart of the matter when it comes to Facebook, TikTok, etc. These platforms are designed to spread content, and the content that spreads best is sometimes the most "radical". So while I agree with @boogielicious that the people are at the root of the problem, the social media companies are not blameless IMO.

Yes, it seems the these platforms and stupidity have the same relationship that is shared by gasoline and fire. Unless the platforms are actively doing something to stop allowing the platforms to be used for this stupidity they are a sizable part of the problem. I get it that it is a direct conflict of interest for them in reducing traffic but this is nuts. 

My 15-year old brushed it off as 'dumb' this morning when I dropped her off at school, with police cars by the building. I felt differently - straight up helpless.  

[Golfingdad]

1 hour ago, boogielicious said:

Other challenges happened on other platforms. It’s not the platform, it’s the people that are the problem.

Certainly, but the existence on social media in general only exacerbates the issue with the access and virality of the stupidity.  Before its existence, the peer pressure only came locally, now its worldwide.

My oldest started middle school this year and we've seen at their school a couple of these challenges come to fruition.  One was something to do with sawing chairs or desks apart with mask strings.  (Seriously, wtf?)

And regarding this latest one, hopefully nothing comes of it, but we did receive this email last night:

Dear SVUSD Community,

 You may have heard reports from various media outlets, including social media (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc.) regarding mass school violence tomorrow, Friday, December 17, 2021. Saddleback Valley Unified School District assures you that we are in communication with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD); the School Mobile Assessment Team (SMART); a division of the OCSD who specializes in school-based threats; and the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center (OCIAC). All site administrators have been notified and are on heightened alert.

 As of now, there are no credible threats to Orange County. Should you receive information regarding any threats, please contact OCSD Dispatch immediately at (949) 770-6011. For an emergency, dial 9-1-1.

 We appreciate your vigilance and reporting of suspicious behaviors to help keep our schools and community safe.

It's a different world these days.

[The Flush]

We don't even arrest people who threaten school board members over masks or non-existent CRT curricula while standing in front of a cop and when we know exactly who they are. What makes your think we are going to arrest anonymous people on the internet doing this tik-tok challenge crap? 

 

[iacas]

6 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Thus allowing kids one extra day of Christmas break. 

Christmas break doesn't start Monday, though.

 

[boogielicious]

2 hours ago, Golfingdad said:

Certainly, but the existence on social media in general only exacerbates the issue with the access and virality of the stupidity.  Before its existence, the peer pressure only came locally, now its worldwide.

My oldest started middle school this year and we've seen at their school a couple of these challenges come to fruition.  One was something to do with sawing chairs or desks apart with mask strings.  (Seriously, wtf?)

And regarding this latest one, hopefully nothing comes of it, but we did receive this email last night:

Dear SVUSD Community,

 You may have heard reports from various media outlets, including social media (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc.) regarding mass school violence tomorrow, Friday, December 17, 2021. Saddleback Valley Unified School District assures you that we are in communication with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD); the School Mobile Assessment Team (SMART); a division of the OCSD who specializes in school-based threats; and the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center (OCIAC). All site administrators have been notified and are on heightened alert.

 As of now, there are no credible threats to Orange County. Should you receive information regarding any threats, please contact OCSD Dispatch immediately at (949) 770-6011. For an emergency, dial 9-1-1.

 We appreciate your vigilance and reporting of suspicious behaviors to help keep our schools and community safe.

It's a different world these days.

Agree 100%. We had plenty of a-holes back when I was in school. But social media magnifies their reach. Sad.

[ChetlovesMer]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

Christmas break doesn't start Monday, though.

It does here.

I'm happy to report nothing happened at either of my kids' schools. But many parents did keep their kids home today in response to an email very similar to the one @Golfingdad got.

[dennyjones]

There are over 20 copycat threats in several school districts that have been arrested in Michigan.  Even the Oxford middle school received a threat which has shut the school district down until after the holidays.     smh  😢

[iacas]

32 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

It does here.

How? They're off for two weeks straight?