Beware Bismarck Mandan of Stupid Challenges
In the years past, we have heard of many, many challenges. Many were done for a good reason like the Ice Bucket Challenge years ago to help ALS. We have also heard of challenges that made us scratch our heads and say...What?! Like the Tide Pod Challenge that had young people eating or swallowing Tide Detergent Pods.
Now there is a new one, this one on Tik Tok, which you have probably heard of. The "Devious Licks" Challenge encourages kids to steal or damage school property then share the video anonymously with the hashtag on Tik Tok. This challenge has led to destruction in locker rooms and school bathrooms like tearing soap dispensers and urinals off the walls or breaking toilets.
Besides being completely stupid, this can be very expensive for schools to fix. I googled various bathroom items to see the prices. I am sure schools or businesses may have access to lower prices, but this just gives you an idea of some of the costs due to this "challenge".
Urinal $170 and up
Toilets $150 and up
Soap Dispenser $15 and up
Wall Tile $3.99-19.99 square foot range
Sheetrock $12-20 per panel
Janitor $13-18/hr
Plumber $23/hr and up
This does not include potential water damage costs or time a bathroom or locker room is out of order.
I read a mother's post on Facebook this past week talking about this challenge. She was mentioning the legal side of it, should a student get caught. She also said that lots of parents need to wake up and realize that their kids may not be the angels ( she used a different phrase) they think they are.
Is this happening in our communities? I have heard it is, but I hope it ends real quick.