Tik Tok Challenge, schools threatened today

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Apparently there is some kind of non-credible threat today against all [US?] schools. However, it has become so viral that it is believed troublemakers will use it as an opportunity to be up to no good. What could actually happen: pranks, hoaxes, little incidents costing tons of money, but WHAT IF actual violence, bombs, shootings, whatever happen--is a thing on SOME PARENTS' minds and SOME TEACHERS' minds. Some parents are keeping their kids home. In some school districts there has been follow-up to the general claim of more specific claims already and I have read of one school district to shutdown for the day, not sure if this will happen with more.

I have posted before about my wife, a school employee, and the PTSD-like things she goes through. Tinted-window pick-up truck shows up behind the school next to kids having recess and that is very stressful. Now, living in Connecticut, really not far from Sandy Hook, the anniversary recently happening and it being in minds of people, I think this is pretty triggering of re-trauma for some people.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I think Social Media needs to be put on a time out. These companies have shown they are extraordinarily incapable of moderating such systems.

When I first read about this on Facebook, my thought was it was some bogus viral hoax or ironic posting to bring out the issue of violent attacks in school (kind of like the TidePod challenge being about the endless number of warnings on the packaging, not an actual challenge). But it seems to be neither of those two things, and that this is some posting that has gained steam. There are no specific threats, but my daughter's school sent out an email about this TikTok posting.

That TikTok is seemingly helpless in dealing with this sort of thing, it is probably time for a time out.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Article in NY Post here.

"A dozen or more teens were arrested in multiple states last week for alleged participation in a viral social media trend that stirred school shooting fears across the United States, according to reports and local police.​

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The arrests on Thursday and Friday of male students in Connecticut, California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin came after schools increased security in response to the rumors, which spread like wildfire after the Nov. 30 school shooting in Oxford Township, Michigan, Fox News reported.​

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The boys arrested range in age from 13 to 16, according to local media reports."​

The article goes on to say that one of the students arrested was a 13 year old from Fort Myers private school who said he was going to shoot black students.