Jenny Bathurst: "End these sickening social media trends... now!"

The last thing the world needs is another article warning of the dangers of ignorant Tik Tok and other social media trends…or is it? For it seems that no matter how many cries to dispel these ‘challenges’ are made, nothing ever seems to change.

Having been an avid social media user since the age of 13, I have seen many a trend come and go. The Chubby Bunny challenge, the Bottle Flip, and, of course, Gangnam Style (which now makes every bone in my body cringe at the thought) just to name a few. Now these were pretty harmless, and I would be lying if I said that everything I see on social media in 2023 is sinister and a risk to mankind, but the transparency of the danger in current trends and challenges seems to be increasing by the day. I have written in my column about social media before, and I will no doubt do the same again in the future. I believe it to be a highly important tool, not just to pass time but to connect with others and experience a sense of community that those before social media might not have acknowledged. And for cat videos. That’s probably a highlight for me.

As somebody whose mobility is limited, I highly value the opportunity to connect with friends and relatives and celebrate their achievements through images and comments when my body won’t allow me to see them face-to-face. But I would happily sacrifice all this to put a stop to the news stories that seem to breaking time and time again.

A school in Rochdale saw a young teenage girl being pounced on, kicked and brutally attacked by fellow students before Easter: all whilst being filmed with the intention to post online. The purpose of the video was to be shared on social apps, with the hopes that it would spark attention equalling views and notoriety. The trend of filming young children being hounded and bullied is unfortunately not a new one, and yet cases seem to be constantly on the up. Since when did we go from attempting to fit more than five marshmallows in our mouths at a time to violence and harassment? It is, needless to say, gut-wrenching.

Does the age required to begin a social media account need to increase? Should identification be compulsory and personally vetted before having access to the world of Tik Tok, Instagram and many more? I wish I knew the answer. It seems unfair that those who use such platforms responsibly and with the best intentions should have to miss out on behalf of those who are, let’s be honest, idiotic, and yet I would like to think that any one of us would happily do whatever it takes to end these sickening trends. Because it needs to end. Now.