TikTok has yet again created another disastrous trend. The devious/diabolical lick challenge has spread among middle schools and high schools throughout the country. But what are devious licks? To put it simply, the challenge is built around vandalism. Students record and post videos of themselves showing off items they stole specifically from their school bathrooms.
Devious licks have quickly made their way to Nyack Middle School, where soap dispensers, paper towel dispensers, and mirrors have been stolen and/or vandalized. We interviewed 8th grader Maeve O'Donnell and asked her about the challenge. O'Donnell had “first only heard rumors about the challenge. Then [she] came across a TikTok video of two boys at the middle school pulling out a soap dispenser from their backpack. ” O’Donnell also shared that the staff and security have taken a stricter approach with the students and the use of their phones during lunch. Announcements and emails have been sent home to students and their parents/guardians addressing the “Devious Lick TikTok Challenge.” If that wasn’t enough, two of the boys' bathrooms were temporarily closed, doors on some of the stalls were removed, teachers began guarding the bathrooms, and students are now required to use a sign-out sheet when leaving their classrooms to use the restrooms.
Devious Licks have even made their way to the high school. According to 11th grader Kayleigh O’Donnell, she “went to use the bathroom and looked up to use the soap dispenser only to discover that it was missing. I was actually pretty shocked,” she said. “I would really only expect this to happen in the boys’ bathroom to be honest.”
Although it seems entertaining, it has resulted in costly repairs and major inconvenience. Steps have been taken to stop the trend but it has only slowed it down and it appears to have no end in sight.