Mrs. Amy Moore strolls into her 6th period English class expecting all of her students, but what she sees instead doesn’t shock her. Stuck in the ceiling are five more paper darts waiting for their ultimate removal. 

Not only are teachers feeling the effects of social media on their students, but many other districts and parents alike are being affected by darts and other so-called “trends” and “challenges.”

The trends circulating on social media platforms like TikTok have been very impactful on schools in the last couple of years.

The “Chromebook challenge” is a trend in which students attempt to destroy their computers by inserting paperclips or other metal objects into their charging ports, mainly with the intention of destroying any aspect of their school computers.

“I think it’s destructive,” sophomore Gysbert Dupreez said. “People just like to be destructive.”

The “Devious Licks” trend has been literally dismantling schools across the country. This trend encourages students to steal school property and post a video or image on social media about their newfound item.

Although the dart trend is not as destructive, it still comes with repercussions.

“We try to assign consequences,” Principal Mr. Tim Wormald said. “[Either] to change behavior or to encourage students not to engage in those kinds of behaviors.”

Consequences will not completely stop students from these bad habits and behaviors because of the impact and use of TikTok, but they can certainly help to disengage students from what they see on a screen.

While these trends may seem exciting and eventful at first, they eventually will be dimmed and forgotten in the light of new and “better” trends.

Gallery • 3 Photos

"Darts? What Darts?" Juniors Cody Fisher, Sebastien Keefer, Ostin Kolb, and Christian Love wonder how those pointy papers ended up on their desk.

“I think these trends kind of cycle, but once one student does it, the other student gets an idea, like a contagion,” Mrs. Moore said. “Pretty soon, your ceiling looks like mushrooms on a lawn after rain; you turn around and suddenly 20 more darts have popped up.”

The making, doing, and throwing of darts is appealing to more students since it requires a very low standard of risk and maintenance compared to the computer challenge and ‘Devious Licks.’  

Darts in general cause no physical damage to the school ceilings, but are a pain for teachers and janitors alike.

“I enjoy them,” Dupreez said. “But I feel like I could see how they’re not so great for the janitors and staff.”

While darts can be fun, students are urged to keep them in their original form of sticky notes and paper if the consequences are perceived to be too harsh. Some staff and students ask why kids participate in these new trends.

“Kids are bored,” sophomore Baylee Kraft said. “It gives them something to do.”

The aspects of physically making and throwing darts will temporarily occupy someone’s time, but that time could be put to better use.

“It’s not taking students in the direction they need to go,” Mr. Wormald said. “I can understand the motivation behind it somewhat.”

Not only do administrators want to see the very best out of students, but they would like to set standards for the future and help instill positive habits.

“For me, I think it would be a fun reward,” Mrs. Moore said. “And a [great] teaching tool.”

The drawbacks can possibly offset the rewards if students cleaned up after themselves; there would be more leniency toward new trends in our school.

Like the ‘Devious Licks’ and Chromebook challenge making way for the dart trend, the spotlight will most likely shift to seemingly better upcoming trends, whether now or later.