The flip camera trend has emerged on TikTok and other social media platforms as a popular trend that involves dancing, and then unexpectedly, flipping the camera to show whoever is holding the camera and their surprised reactions. Many claim this is fun, or that it’s not as serious as others make it out to be; however, it is. This trend is clearly bullying for several reasons. 

The first reason is that it creates an idea that targeting unsuspecting people is acceptable and even encouraged. Sound familiar? Consent is also an important factor being violated in this trend. Through most of the videos it is clear that the victim of the trend does not want to be seen during the video, which shows that they did not give consent. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. The comments on these videos are almost always in support of the main group and often making fun of the victim. 

Another reason this trend is bad is that it mostly takes place in school. Students should not have to worry about becoming a victim just because they are doing something nice for someone else. Having this in a school setting increases social pressure for students. It is widely known that students’ mental health in schools is already decreasing each year, and having this extra pressure to worry about what other people would think lessens their mental health even more. This could lead to unexpected situations happening to these students, all for a few laughs. 

Finally, while many people participate in this trend because it is so popular, the joy from doing it only lasts a few minutes, or, more commonly, only a few seconds. However, the distraught from the victim of this lasts for much longer. It lasts up to days or even weeks depending on the person. Entertainment shouldn’t come at the cost of someone else’s dignity, and many people don’t think about that. They see the person as a tool for joy and don’t think about how the victim is affected by the video, whether they end up seeing the video or not. 

The big part people should think about is, how would you feel if it was you? It could happen to anyone, and the outcome stays the same. People laugh at you, and don’t think twice about how you feel.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Lucas Johnson at [email protected].