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Original poster

Is there a new social media trend amongst teens (maybe Tik Tok), at the moment? I had an uncomfortable experience.

63 replies

Townlife · 20/05/2023 15:21

I was on my lunch break, enjoying a coffee in the park, talking on the phone. Suddenly 3 young girls (late teens or maybe 20), walked past and one of them suddenly shrieked, while chatting. It made me jump, so I admit I did look at them, still on my phone.

One of them then looked back at me, walked over, her phone in my face and filmed me, while saying to me, 'Well HELLO, WHORE', then ran back to her friends shrieking with laughter. It left me feeling v uncomfortable, I wonder if they just took a dislike to me, or it's some sort of 'trend' to do this to unsuspecting people.

I was in my work uniform btw, so didn't match her description of me at all! 😮

OP posts:
orangelotus · 20/05/2023 19:44

i think it's a tik tok thing i saw that some boys snatched an elderly persons small dog and ran off with it.
So upsetting for everyone .
in the house one there were young children in the house as well .

Xrays · 20/05/2023 19:49

How vile. Social media has a lot to answer for.

Ponderingwindow · 20/05/2023 19:51

i think the point is to get a video of the victim reacting. If the reaction can be misinterpreted and the victim blamed as being biased or inappropriate in some manner, all the better.

we have reached the point where the only reaction you can have against non-physical public aggression is to grey rock. Anything else and you risk being the next viral video, losing your job in the process.

SingleMumStruggling · 20/05/2023 19:56

Just sounds like a scummy teenager. I'd have grabbed the phone and smashed it on the ground.

LadyVictoriaSponge · 20/05/2023 20:02

orangelotus · 20/05/2023 19:44

i think it's a tik tok thing i saw that some boys snatched an elderly persons small dog and ran off with it.
So upsetting for everyone .
in the house one there were young children in the house as well .

Oh my god that’s really upset me, that poor person and their poor dog, did they give it back? That has made me so fucking angry, they would never pick on a big burly bloke, they are sick fucking cowards.

YoucancallmeKAREN · 20/05/2023 20:13

I am not shocked by the behaviour of our teens, after all we decide discipline was not nice and therefore should be banned. We should just remove their treats or sit down and have a conversation with about why they feel the need to be horrid ! We are now reaping what we sowed, brats without boundries or morals. It's only going to get worse, have just read a report in the paper about our young criminals, a 10 year old done for rape, a 12 year old done for murder and many many more. This is what happens when you remove discipline.

YoucancallmeKAREN · 20/05/2023 20:15

Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious · 20/05/2023 15:54

Sounds horrible. I'd be so ashamed of my child if they behaved like this. If I saw a video circulating of them doing something like this, they wouldn't have their phone anymore nor be going out.

That will teach them !

Original poster
Townlife · 20/05/2023 20:15

Thank you all, I'm ok now, was a bit shaken up at the time though. I really wish my reactions had been quick enough to grab her phone and throw it. Or, as the colleague I mentioned it to said, I could have told her I was reporting her, and told her I knew who she was without letting on how. (Didn't know her from Adam btw, but it would have put the wind up her)!

So easy with hindsight, I'm annoyed with myself for being caught so off-guard, tbh. Maybe I'm the type of person these kids are looking for, ie, minding my own business, slightly introverted? Hmm, I'll be more on my guard in future.

Also, that poor dog, owner & children, Orange. 🙁 Absolutely vile behaviour. 😠

OP posts:
Dappy55 · 20/05/2023 20:19

What is it with filming this utter shite, I have seen a few where boys go up.to girls and tell them that they have got stains on the back of their trousers and film them checking, just horrible

Sudokufail · 20/05/2023 20:30

They will eventually pick on the wrong person and them they'll know about it!

Roll on that day.

TheBucketWoman · 20/05/2023 20:32

They sound like uneducated scum.

AnybodyAnywhere · 20/05/2023 20:33

The thug who went into the house is the same piece of pond scum who took the woman’s dog.

He’s also done another ‘prank’ 🙄 where he and his sidekick approach people and ask them if they want to die, obviously they try and get away and after chasing them a bit he shows them a tube of hair dye and says he meant their hair (hilarious 🥱).

His real name is all over Twitter today. He’s been in trouble with the police before for abusing Orthodox Jews in Stamford Hill and the Met have been tagged many times.

Idiots like those girls are looking for a reaction so the best way to beat them is to try not to react.

Bec198 · 20/05/2023 20:34

Townlife · 20/05/2023 20:15

Thank you all, I'm ok now, was a bit shaken up at the time though. I really wish my reactions had been quick enough to grab her phone and throw it. Or, as the colleague I mentioned it to said, I could have told her I was reporting her, and told her I knew who she was without letting on how. (Didn't know her from Adam btw, but it would have put the wind up her)!

So easy with hindsight, I'm annoyed with myself for being caught so off-guard, tbh. Maybe I'm the type of person these kids are looking for, ie, minding my own business, slightly introverted? Hmm, I'll be more on my guard in future.

Also, that poor dog, owner & children, Orange. 🙁 Absolutely vile behaviour. 😠

OP, as a previous poster has said, it’s honestly best to grey rock or look bemused if you must react. I dread to think what they’d have done to you if you broke their phone, if they can behave so despicably when totally unprovoked. I wouldn’t risk it and I don’t take no shit usually. I have worked in pupil referral units with very challenging young people but I found the two lads I saw doing it really quite intimidating.

Inkypot · 20/05/2023 20:49

What a horrible thing to happen and it would leave you feeling so shaken up/vulnerable/confused. Their mothers must be so proud.
I know the right thing to do would be to not respond but I'd have struggled not to call her a cheeky bint to be honest. Or "takes one to know one".
Wonder what she'd have done if you'd gone "oh hi, thanks for noticing". Nasty wee cows honestly. Hope you're ok.

WhyAmITired · 20/05/2023 20:55

Horrible! That would really unnerve me.

One day they will look back and be absolutely mortified

BellatrixLestrangesHeatedCurlers · 20/05/2023 22:06

if they make a loud noise at someone with PTSD (especially combat-related), they could well end up injured or worse. It would serve them right tbh.

EmmaEmerald · 20/05/2023 22:17

BellatrixLestrangesHeatedCurlers · 20/05/2023 22:06

if they make a loud noise at someone with PTSD (especially combat-related), they could well end up injured or worse. It would serve them right tbh.

yes. My mum is 84 and I prefer she doesn't go out alone because of this.

Princesssuperstar · 21/05/2023 07:42

I'd probably have a meltdown at this due to being in hiding, even if it was some kind of TT phase that would disclose info to my ex which is hugely important he cannot find me at all....... tavvvvvvvvvvu

Original poster
Townlife · 21/05/2023 14:15

Princess, Yes, in your situation a video circulating of you could cause no end of problems. 😮
There's nobody I'm hiding from, but even so, I'm not comfortable with the thought of that video circulating of me. Only a few seconds, and not in my local area, but still, it's a most uncomfortable feeling. 🤔 x

OP posts:
SeaPink · 21/05/2023 14:18

That's horrible. Me and my friends were idiots when we were young but would never have done something horrible like that.

StrugglingWeight · 21/05/2023 14:25

I don't think there's any specific trend, I think it's just teenagers being dickheads.

But I think a lot of people have lost sight of appropriate behaviour when it comes to tiktoks/social media. And we will see more and more of these unpleasant stunts to hunt for a reaction

SeaPink · 21/05/2023 14:28

People who find that sort of thing funny must have such a low IQ.
I remember trying to go on an outdoor gym in a park and having to stop because a teenage boy kept trying to film me 😠

Simonlebonbon · 21/05/2023 14:38

Remember the happy slapping trend?
A very good friend of mine was "happy slapped" by an adult, (19 I believe she was) and my friend absolutely hurt her.
She got arrested. Its awful isn't it?

LightlySearedontheRealityGrill · 21/05/2023 14:43

There is a lot of this 'pranking' stuff going on with kids/teens recording it for laughs. Its generally quite horrible, puts me off going out in urban places.

PuffinsRocks · 21/05/2023 14:45

2bazookas · 20/05/2023 17:17

Your reflexes must be slow. A phone thrust in my face would very shortly be a phone in my hand/under my foot./in bits.

LMAO you've watched too many movies, phones don't really smash to bits if you stamp on them IRL.