Dangerous TikTok Trends and Technology to Help Eradicate This
With the sad news breaking about an Irish teen in Clare who died as a result of a TikTok Aerosol challenge known as ‘chroming’, we look at the importance of technology in stopping these antisocial trends and behaviours.
Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very sad time.
Over the last year, we have seen various international and local Tik Tok trends to hit schools. These trends vary from a student placing themselves in personal danger, carrying out vandalism and complete destruction of property. It is very difficult to legislate for current and future trends however, this new era of peer pressure needs to be addressed and the right technology introduced to support safeguarding these students from these trends. Looking at technology to support you in rapid incident response enables you to intervene and stamp out these trends as they happen.
As we work with two companies based in the US who distribute internationally we see a lot of trends before they hit our shores, we hear of the latest vaping pens which are disguised as highlighters, we see drugs being introduced and hidden in refillable vape pens, we see the market being flooded with illegal disposable vapes which contain THC, Ketamine, LSD and other hard drugs but we also see the harm and destruction of TikTok trends. These trends drive the habits and behaviours of our pre/ teenage population. Unfortunately it is not just their friends influencing behaviours and habits, it is also the world wide web. Putting robust safeguarding measure in place for both education and recreation centres is going to be a vital tool in future proofing these trends and habits. Having actionable notifications within seconds of an event enables you to intervene appropriately and with the right information.
High Lighter Vape Pens
There are several solutions on the market which will have varying degrees of detection, it is imperative educational institutions look past the ‘vaping’ trend and install devices which will help stamp out drug use, aerosol abuse, bullying, aggression and vandalism. Please note with the introduction of a vape detector, you will see a reduction between 80-100% in vaping, please ensure your investment covers Tik Tok trends as well. Here are the difference in the current detectors on the Irish market:
Air Quality Sensor:
These devices are super cheap to make and are flooding our market. Using PM10 and PM2.5 sensors they can detect all impurities in the air and let you know when a space has unsafe air quality. They cannot distinguish the difference between aerosol and vape, which means it is not providing you with any actionable intelligence. These devices have basic noise sensors but cannot tell you the difference between shouting, vandalism, bullying and aggression. These sensors cannot tell you if they are being tampered with or even stolen from the ceiling. They usually do not have an alarm or siren so they completely rely on you intervening without any deterrent.
Vape Specific Vape Detector:
Sensors such as Triton are what we call ‘vape specific’. These means it can accurately identify, smoking and vaping without confusing it with aerosol. They also have an aerosol detection function called ‘masking agent’ which will notify you of any unsafe levels of aerosol within the air. This kind of actionable intelligence allows you to intervene appropriately. Triton has a robust air quality sensor so you can be notified of any unsafe air qualities. Tritons 3D Pro model has added antisocial sensors such as aggression and vandalism sensors, alerting you to the difference in these behaviours. Triton’s tamper alarm lets you know when it is being interfered with or stolen. And most importantly the ‘Calls for Help’ notifications which will alert you when phrases such as ‘Stop’ and ‘Help’ are detected at volume. There are robust app supports, text alerts and also siren options which will deter these behaviours within seconds of detection. This sensor can be customised to your needs around alerting and siren options. This device is an IOT device meaning it can sync into thousand of security systems if needed.
Vape and Security Sensor:
Vape and Security Sensors such as HALO are the future of all of our indoor environments. They provide life saving actionable intelligence which can sync into cameras and security systems, talk to security guards and notify of any human events or mechanical failures within a building. These events range from vape specific identification to specific drug identification such as THC. It is the only sensor in the world which can specifically identify the presence THC and notify you as such. HALO has advance acustic sensors which can detect and distinguish the difference between agression, bullying and vandalism. This allows you to intervene at the right time with the right people. Masking agent and tamper alarms also help to ensure detection of vaping or drug use doesn’t go unnoticed. The anti theft alarm ensures the safety of your device which means it cannot be stolen out if the ceiling like air quality sensors. Chemical and gas detection and air quality insights ensure your space is safe for human occupancy. HALO can also let you know if someone if hanging around a space for a prolonged period of time, meaning skipping class is a thing of the past. The new people counting feature will notify you of sudden changes in occupancy behaviour such as crowding. This is also a great tool which can notify you when the space may need to be cleaned based on volume of use. You will be able to see how many people are in each space at a glance. This is a great potential life saving feature when emergencies or evacuations may need to happen.
HALO is backed by AI, meaning it learns what ‘normal’ is within your space and notifies you of any future anomalies or change in behaviours it detects. This feature enable us to future proof any future Tik Tok trends that we cannot legislate for in the present.
Introducing vape or security sensors within public and privacy areas enables you to safely monitor your building at one time. Being notified by harmful events gives you peace of mind and ensures a safe space for all. If you have any questions about anything discussed in this article please don’t hesitate to get in touch, hello@purifiair.ie.
Here is a link to the original article:
Gardaí investigate if schoolgirl (14) died after taking part in ‘TikTok challenge’ | Independent.ie
