The TikTok Trend That Got 50 High Schoolers Suspended

In early November, a new TikTok trend emerged called the "Who Wants Smoke Challenge," where TikTok users, primarily high school students, filmed themselves and their friends pointing their cell phones at the camera in a manner mimicking a gun, using a slow-motion effect. This trend quickly gained traction on social media, set to the backdrop of rapper Nardo Wick's song "Who Wants Smoke."

However, the trend caught the eyes of school administrators who viewed the glorification of weapons in school settings as a potential threat. Alarm was raised particularly when students tricked staff members into participating, under the pretense of contributing to a school pride promotional video.

By late November, the consequences of this trend became severe. Multiple TikTok users reported that approximately 50 students from a high school in Chicago were suspended for five days. The suspensions were handed out after the staff discovered the true nature of the video, feeling it could pose a danger. The incident has sparked debate over whether the students truly deserved such harsh punishments.

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Keywords

TikTok
Trend
"Who Wants Smoke Challenge"
High School
Suspended Students
Nardo Wick
Glorifying Weapons
School Safety
Social Media
Chicago High School
Five-day Suspension
School Pride Promotional Video

FAQ

1. What is the "Who Wants Smoke Challenge" on TikTok? The "Who Wants Smoke Challenge" is a TikTok trend where users film themselves pointing their cell phones at the camera as if they were handguns, often using a slow-motion effect. The videos are set to the song "Who Wants Smoke" by Nardo Wick.

2. Why did the "Who Wants Smoke Challenge" result in suspensions? The challenge was deemed a potential threat by school administrators who saw the glorification of weapons, albeit simulated, as dangerous. This view was particularly heightened when staff members were tricked into participating.

3. How many students were suspended, and from where? Approximately 50 students from a high school in Chicago were suspended for their involvement in the trend.

4. What were the students told to convince them to participate? Students told staff members that they were filming a school pride promotional video to trick them into participating in the trend.

5. Were the suspensions deemed appropriate? This is a topic of debate. Some view the suspensions as necessary for school safety, while others see them as overly harsh punishment.