TikTok scandal engulfs middle school in Philadelphia suburb
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Middle-school students in a Philadelphia suburb made fake TikTok accounts impersonating teachers and posting disparaging and inflammatory content, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: The social media attack at Great Valley Middle School in Malvern — the first of its kind on such a scale in the U.S. — affected at least 20 educators, and led to the suspensions of several students.
- Some teachers say they're now leery of reprimanding students who act out in class because they fear being targeted in future online posts.
Catch up quick: Students culled real photos from teachers' social media profiles and used them to set up fake accounts. They created "low-tech cheapfakes" by cropping, cutting and pasting and superimposing text on photos.
- The messages and memes were "rife with pedophilia innuendo, racist memes, homophobia and made-up sexual hookups among teachers" and viewed by hundreds of students, per the Times.
- The school said it's legally limited in its response due to students' off-campus free speech rights. Mocking and even disparaging educators can be protected free speech as long as the posts don't threaten anyone or substantially disrupt school activities.
The big picture: Several school districts across the U.S. have banned or restricted cellphone use to get students to pay attention in class and become more engaged with their peers.
- Last year, officials in nearby Bucks County sued social media companies, including TikTok and Instagram, over allegations their platforms exploit youth and exacerbate their rates of anxiety and depression.
What they're saying: Some teachers at Great Valley Middle School, which serves about 1,100 students, told the Times the attack made them question their decision to become educators. They're worried social media is making students less empathetic.
- "I think it's just desensitized them to the fact that we're real people," eighth-grade English teacher Bettina Scibilia told the Times.
The other side: At least two students apologized in online videos, saying the accounts were meant as a harmless joke and got blown out of proportion.
TikTok removed the fake accounts, per the Times. The company bans misleading accounts that don't disclose that they are parodies or were made by fans.