TikTok’s newest ban on “devious licks” movies actually introduced out my interior Outdated. Contemplating the loopy issues the Youth and others do on TikTok these days, I sincerely thought the children had been out licking issues in a pandemic, which is each alarming and gross. Fortunately, I used to be flawed, however the various is probably extra disturbing: These movies apparently present teenagers stealing issues from their colleges.
On Wednesday, TikTok advised Insider that it was eradicating hashtags, blocking content material, and redirecting searches for devious licks, a development that surged in reputation this month and included college students reportedly stealing every part from projectors and microscopes to plastic spoons and paper towel holders. The corporate said that the conduct violated its group pointers.
“We count on our group to remain protected and create responsibly, and we don’t permit content material that promotes or allows felony actions,” a TikTok spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to Insider.
Though the corporate mentioned it was blocking the content material to discourage stealing from colleges, on the time of publication of this weblog we might nonetheless see dozens upon dozens of devious licks, comparable to these linked above.
In line with Urban Dictionary—which was my go-to supply for this weblog—a lick is “a profitable sort of theft which ends up in a suitable, spectacular and rewarding payday for the protagonist.”
G/O Media might get a fee
I’m unsure what the spectacular or rewarding “payday” will be for stealing these typical white plastic spoons, which break if you happen to simply breathe on them incorrectly, however I suppose it’s web glory. That’s uh, so price it, I suppose. However what do I do know, I’m an Outdated.
It’s not clear what number of teenagers determined to turn out to be small-time criminals all within the title of devious licks, however we are able to take a guess based mostly 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 Excessive Faculty, requested dad and mom to speak to their college students concerning the licks and remind them that they’re breaking faculty guidelines and the regulation.
“We’ll examine each single video, we are going to monitor and use social media footage to catch the scholars accountable and we are going to ask for regulation enforcement intervention in each scenario whereas additionally offering faculty self-discipline on the most stage allowed,” Zetzsche mentioned.
