The December 17th TikTok challenge refers to a viral trend that emerged on the social media platform in December 2021, encouraging students to make threats about bringing weapons to school on that date. Though the origins of the challenge are unclear, the concerning trend quickly spread and led to heightened security at schools across the country. Many administrators took precautionary measures such as closing schools, despite questions over whether the threats were credible or just an online hoax. The viral challenge represents broader issues around social media’s impact on youth behavior and school safety.
Origins
The December 17 TikTok challenge appears to have first emerged in early December 2021, though its exact origins are unclear. According to the Tooelle County School District in Utah, the original source of the challenge seems to have come from Arizona, but officials have been unable to definitively pinpoint where it began. The challenge quickly spread on TikTok and other social media platforms, causing concern among parents, students, and school administrators across the country.
Some reports have traced the rumors back to a video posted on TikTok from a school in Arizona, but that original video has not been found or definitively verified. Law enforcement agencies and social media monitoring groups have searched extensively for the source video that kicked off the viral December 17th challenge, but have so far come up empty-handed.
While the exact point of origin remains a mystery, what is clear is that unsubstantiated warnings of school violence tied to the date December 17 began circulating in early December 2021, predominantly among middle and high school students on TikTok and Snapchat.
What Does the Challenge Entail?
The December 17th TikTok challenge is alleged to encourage students to make threats against schools or bring weapons to school on that date. However, details on any specific actions are vague. Unlike some previous viral TikTok dares like the “Devious Licks” challenge that urged vandalism, the December 17th warnings lack mentions of any concrete plans. Rather, the supposed threats seem to stem more from rumors spreading anxiety, not credible threats.
TikTok has said its investigation found no evidence of a viral trend on its platform calling for school violence on December 17th, and law enforcement agencies have similarly dismissed the threats as not credible. Experts say the warnings likely originated more as a meme or joke rather than a real intended challenge. Nonetheless, in the heightened climate of school safety concerns, even unsubstantiated threats can cause unease and prompt precautions like increased police presence.
While some students may have made localized threats not part of any larger trend, there does not appear to be an organized viral challenge around school violence tied to December 17th. The dates or details of supposed threats also vary in warnings spreading mostly through school gossip and on other social media platforms. Still, officials are closely monitoring the situation and discouraging participation just in case.
Participation and Spread
By mid-December 2021, the December 17th challenge had spread widely on TikTok, with many users creating videos warning others about it. While the exact number of people participating is unknown, the viral nature of the warnings indicates it had reached a substantial audience.
On December 16, TikTok said it had no evidence of videos promoting violence actually originating on its platform, suggesting the challenge arose elsewhere. However, warnings about the challenge were so widespread that over 100 school districts in the U.S. preemptively closed or increased security on December 17. Large school districts like New York City, Los Angeles, and Detroit opted to cancel classes entirely that day.
Authorities made at least 10 arrests of students who made threats related to the challenge on December 17, though none resulted in any actual violence. Still, the widespread concern and school closures indicate the challenge had tapped into fears about school shootings and spread rapidly among students nationwide. https://www.foxla.com/news/arrests-made-amid-tiktok-challenge-on-dec-17
Concerns and Controversy
The December 17th TikTok challenge has raised considerable concern and controversy due to the threats of violence associated with it. Many are worried that the challenge could inspire students to bring weapons to school or engage in other dangerous behaviors on December 17th [1]. While the threats seem unspecific and not entirely credible, the fear is that it could still lead to students harming themselves or others [2].
One major controversy is that there is no evidence of a singular “challenge” that went viral on TikTok. Rather, there have been scattered warnings, many of which seem opportunistic or meant to scare people, capitalizing on fear rather than credible threats. However, the result has still been the same – widespread concern among parents, schools, and authorities [3].
Overall, the controversy highlights how social media rumors can quickly spiral out of control and cause real-world disruption and anxiety, even if the original threat was not necessarily real. Many critics have pointed to the need for better media literacy education for students to help them discern credible threats online.
TikTok’s Response
TikTok has responded firmly to address the purported December 17th challenge, stating there is no evidence of videos promoting school violence on the date (CNN, 2021). According to a CNN article, TikTok is working directly with law enforcement to investigate the rumors and has stressed that the alleged challenges likely started off-platform.
In a statement to CNN, TikTok said it handles “even rumored threats with utmost seriousness” but found no evidence of a “viral” trend on its platform of users promoting school violence on December 17th.
TikTok emphasized its strict policies prohibiting content that incites violence or promotes criminal activities, and that its safety team aggressively removes any such content. They are also monitoring the platform for any potential spread of harmful misinformation (CNN, 2021).
Expert Perspectives
Many experts have weighed in on the implications of the viral December 17th TikTok challenge. Dr. Amy Klinger, director of programs for the nonprofit Educator’s School Safety Network, said “The posts are deliberately vague and anonymous, which makes them hard to track or validate as a real threat” (Charlotte Observer). She noted that the threats likely originated as a prank, but have now gone viral and sparked unnecessary panic.
According to school security expert Kenneth Trump, schools often see a spike in threats around the holiday season. He advised that the TikTok challenge is “not based on intelligence or any level of credibility or specificity” (CNN). Trump explained that non-specific threats without actionable intelligence can still cause needless stress and disruption in schools.
While experts agree the threat is likely not credible, they emphasize that all threats must be taken seriously. The viral nature has real implications, even if the original intent was harmless.
Precedents and Parallels
The December 17th TikTok challenge has clear connections to previous viral social media challenges that raised concerns. For example, in 2018, the viral “Tide Pod challenge” led to a spike in poison control cases as people bit into laundry detergent pods as part of a dare. While done for views and attention online, the Tide Pod challenge resulted in harmful real-world consequences (1).
Similarly, the “pass out challenge” circulated on TikTok and other platforms in recent years, daring participants to choke themselves until they lose consciousness. This highly dangerous act led to injuries and deaths, prompting warnings from health experts (2). The December 17th challenge appears to continue this troubling trend of online viral challenges promoting dangerous behavior.
While details may differ, the underlying social factors seem consistent across these challenges. The desire for attention, views, and notoriety on social media drives participation among younger demographics. However, seemingly harmless online participation can lead to real-world harm. Understanding these social drivers and preventative education will be key to avoiding future harmful viral challenge trends.
Looking Ahead
With the December 17th TikTok challenge still fresh in everyone’s minds, many are wondering what needs to happen going forward to prevent dangerous viral trends from spreading in the future. Most experts agree that increased parental awareness and oversight are crucial. Parents should have open conversations with their children about social media challenges and monitor their activity when possible. Schools and educators also have a role to play in educating students about responsible social media use.
On TikTok’s end, the platform needs to continue improving its moderation efforts to identify and remove harmful challenges before they go viral. TikTok has taken some steps in this direction, such as updating its community guidelines and allowing users to report dangerous content more easily. However, critics argue the platform needs to do more to get ahead of these viral trends through proactive detection. TikTok could also build parental controls directly into the app and send push notifications warning of risky challenges.
Ultimately, preventing dangerous social media challenges requires a combined effort from parents, educators, platforms like TikTok, and users themselves. With collaborative action, the hope is that future viral trends can promote creativity and fun rather than reckless behavior.
The Bigger Picture
The December 17th TikTok challenge is just the latest in a long line of viral social media challenges that have spread rapidly online. As this article discusses, these challenges often reflect broader social and psychological factors. The popularity of challenges represents the powerful draw of social rewards and validation, as well as humans’ inherent enjoyment of patterns, repetition, and games. Challenges also frequently capitalize on emotions like boredom, curiosity, thrill-seeking, and the desire for belonging.
At the same time, the rapid, viral spread of these challenges can also lead to unintended consequences. As we’ve seen with the December 17th challenge, the way information spreads online doesn’t always align with facts on the ground. This reveals the complex interplay between the digital world and real-world human behavior. There are open questions around the ethics and responsibilities of platforms, challenge participants, and society more broadly.
Ultimately, viral social media challenges provide insights into the psychological drivers behind online behavior and highlight important considerations around the real-world impacts of phenomena that begin digitally. Their popularity speaks to enduring aspects of human nature, while also reflecting the evolving influence of social technology.