Students are flocking to the TikTok trend Bay Harbor Pisser. Where they urinate in the toilets at school, film it and post it on social media. But why do young people participate en masse in these online trends?
“A trend can sometimes grow really quickly, like a snowball effect,” says TikTok expert Joey Scheufler.
“There have been so many trends this year, some striking and some bizarre,” says Scheufler. “If I really have to name one that stands out, it would be 6-7.” Videos show how people go crazy when the numbers are spoken. “That really is the biggest trend of this year.”
But why are young people so attracted to these types of trends? Professor of neuropsychology Marieke Pijnenborg of the University of Groningen sees several explanations. She conducts research into youth welfare and social media.
“Adolescents are naturally more impulsive,” she explains. “The prefrontal cortex is not yet fully developed, which is actually still a work in progress.” As a result, young people are less able to understand cause and effect, says Pijnenborg. “They don’t realize that this can really embarrass you in the longer term.”