While TikTok continues to thrive as one of the hottest and most popular social media platforms across America, the fun app full of dancing and lip syncing has now taken a sharp  turn for the worse. Although many trends fall in and out of popularity week by week, there has been one trend recently that has skyrocketed in popularity in all the wrong ways.

Within the last month, users of the app have discovered a new trend which provides them with the opportunity to go viral if they do not have the best dance moves to show off. The trend is known as the “devious licks,” where students steal anything they can find in a school or public facility and post it on TikTok for recognition and fame. While the intention may have only been to steal a pen, pencil or roll of tape from a teacher’s desk, items have quickly escalated to projectors, sinks, phones, computers and more. The whole goal of the challenge is to steal the most dramatic or major piece of school or public property that you can without getting caught, which then correlates to more fame on TikTok. If students successfully steal something without getting caught, they are expected to escalate the difficulty of their “devious lick” for their next attempt. 

While this trend may have started as a joke, things have now gotten way too far out of hand. Students who are found committing a “devious lick” are now being threatened with both educational suspensions and criminal charges. 

“If you decide to steal anything you will get suspended, but will also get the opportunity to wear some really cool bracelets from the cops and let them take you for a ride in their car,” said LHS teacher, Shawn Ferry.

Although TikTok may be the initiator for these student’s actions, there is no sign that TikTok will face any charges for this trend and is probably going to continue to thrive the longer these “devious licks” take place. It will only be a matter of time before the schools and police force crack down on these crimes and put a halt to the takeover of this TikTok trend.