This text is a column with opinions that are the writer’s own and not Nyheter24’s.
Another foolhardy yet degrading trend is rampant in this now on the social media platform Tiktok.
The trend, which is spreading like wildfire, is called “Gargamel-snipes” and consists of surreptitiously photographing people in public spaces. “Gargamel” is the name of the evil, ugly character in the cartoon series The Smurfs.
The images are believed to be taken by young people who go out of their way to make fun of strangers’ appearance or because they have a disability. The majority of the surreptitious images are of elderly people and in the offending slideshow they have added a song with the exact title “Gargamel”.
If you look different and differ from the norm, you should be hanged according to the young people. But in fact they reveal their own moral unconsciousness, which in this case equals zero.
“This trend cuts to the heart”
Tiktok is primarily aimed at children and young people and therefore there should be a clear parental responsibility in what is published or not. It is the job of adults to be involved and supervise and educate the young people, so they do not expose others to bullying.
It is easy to understand how a person who has been hanged feels. How would you feel if a stranger took the right to surreptitiously photograph you? Or if it was your child or parent who was subjected to offensive photography and mocked on social media? It would leave deep, deep scars and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to be out there again.
Nothing that is published on social media today surprises me. But this trend (which isn’t really a trend) cuts to the heart. It is not possible as an adult to dismiss this behavior – this must have consequences.
“Heartless likes and followers at the expense of others”
Humiliation methods seem to many young people to be the “social success concept” in chasing heartless likes and followers – at the expense of others.
However, you should reverse this trend together with your child. A requirement for you as a parent is to talk to your children about what they are doing on the platforms. And it is your duty that your child is not raised to be an empathetic individual who runs around stalking strangers in town.
Imagine if you suddenly went viral for being ugly – how would that make you feel?