TikTok’s Latest Trend Made Its Way to 175 Million Views

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Jaida Phillips

The #deviouslicks challenge creates difficulty for students and staff alike. Ms. Yolanda Pickett, a custodian for PHS for 14 years, has to deal with the cleanup after the challenges.

The new TikTok trend #deviouslicks has made its way to more than 175 million views, and has hosted close to 94,200 similar videos under the hashtag devious licks, or diabolical licks.

The challenge got so out of hand that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on the issue and TikTok removed all the videos.

Things such as food, food coloring, soap dispensers, etc. also because a huge part of the messes at Pattonville High School. Principals, teachers, and janitors tried to let the students know that this is not a joke and that it is vandalism.

Ms. Whitfield, lead day custodian at Pattonville High School, has had to deal with the fallout of the challenge. “I think that it is very insecure, unnecessary, and rude for the people who have to keep it clean for everyone, and the children who have to walk in after the mess,” Ms. Whitfield said.

This challenge is not only causing trouble for the teachers and school staff but is also causing the schools to add more restrictions and make the rules tighter. There are time restrictions in the bathrooms, or bathrooms being closed, people are getting in trouble for being in the area even if they had nothing to do with it, or the people recording them doing the challenge, and they could also get ISS and detention if they know who did it and do not tell anyone who did it.

Some students find this challenge pointless, dumb, frustrating, disappointing, but some students also find it entertaining. “I find it dumb and wouldn’t participate but also entertaining,” said Peyton Anderson, a sophomore at Pattonville High School.

A lot of students don’t think about the hard work that the janitors have to do after the fact. They are just thinking about trying to be cool, what’s trending, or fan clout.

“There is a lack of appreciation for the people who have things going on the outside of school including the pandemic, so coming into the school and having to clean up these unnecessary destruction is really a waste of time,” Ms. Whitfield said.

Whether intentionally rude or just a lack of awareness of others’ jobs, the challenges have an impact on multiple people in the building and will therefore come with heavy consequences.