> Isolating a specific video that seems detrimental, and assuming that it has a huge impact over people's behavior, is just unreasonable from an empirical point of view. That's not how media effects work," Yotam Ophir, an assistant professor in the University at Buffalo communication department, told WIBV.
>”Most people don't know about these challenges, most people don't care about these challenges, and even if they watch these videos and find them amusing, it doesn't mean they're going to walk out and steal a car."
I don’t understand where this comment is coming from. There’s not a lot of context around it in the article, it’s just kind of plopped in there and not expanded on. Was this some kind of defense being made on behalf of the teens, or was it solicited by a lawyer from TikTok?
Regardless, it’s a silly take and I assume the person saying this doesn’t have children. These “challenges” are pervasive; I’m constantly receiving notifications from my children’s schools that someone has hurt themselves attempting a TikTok challenge and some item or activity is now banned as a result. Right now it’s the “one chip challenge” and a bunch of kids from just one school have made themselves violently ill as a result. I think the last big one was “vandalize the school bathroom”.
It’s also silly to call it “a specific video”, as the challenge videos are a trend. They’re very popular on social media and past challenges have a multiplying effect on the likeliness of future videos getting participation.
I don't understand why the Tik Tok challenge came into the original story at all.
From what I understand, these people stole a car using information from a video that dared others to try it. Then, later, they crashed it. The headlines make it seem like the challenge was involved in the crash.
The teens would not have had the knowledge (and probably not motivation) to acquire the stolen car without the TikTok challenge. The challenge was absolutely involved in the crash.
Edit: To add on to this a little - The challenge was probably not "Liable"; If I publish an article called "Here's how to rob someone!" I am probably not liable if you go out and rob someone. If I publish and article "Here's how to rob house 123 Main Street" and link you to it, there's probably a case for conspiracy. The tiktok challenge is probably closer to the former, but has some tinge of incitement. Either would be "Involvement".
I think the comment is there to serve as a catch can. It comes from a professor at an university in the communications department. Kind of just shoved right in to the article in my opinion.
I think today's young people know that if they are under a certain age that the legal ramifications of doing things is low (you're just a juvie). While at the same time things like this give them a high reward and credit for doing it. I believe that this will just give lower bars for tried as an adult in legal courts. Also, monkey see, monkey do.
I'm not going to try and claim that todays kids are dumber than me and my peers when we were the same age because plenty of dumb ideas and trends floated around in my youth, but it is clear social media allows a stupid idea to travel much further and faster than it could when I was young.
> The so-called "Kia challenge," shows TikTok viewers how to hotwire the two makes of cars with a USB cord and a screwdriver and dares them to participate in the illegal activity.
These companies were too cheap to put immobilizes in their vehicles, and also made it extremely easy to break into and manipulate the ignition barrel. So delinquents are stealing them en-masse for attention. Affecting up to 2021 model year KIA/Hyundai, all models.
>”Most people don't know about these challenges, most people don't care about these challenges, and even if they watch these videos and find them amusing, it doesn't mean they're going to walk out and steal a car."