Kia TikTok Challenge Shows How to Steal Cars

How are teenagers being influenced by a trend that has been made from social media?

Managing Editor Choi Ha-eun

haeun.choi.2002@gmail.com

As social media has developed, people are getting lots of information. Short videos on TikTok and Instagram get spread easily between teenagers and videos with high view counts become challenges which become trends that makes other people copy them. For example, many users of TikTok uploaded lip sync challenges and dance challenges. However, there is fake news and wicked information that has a negative effect on society. Especially, teenagers, who have not established their values, are being greatly influenced by posts on social media.

On October 25, four teenagers passed away because of harmful challenges on TikTok. The challenge is called 'Kia challenge' which involves stealing Kia cars. After an account called 'Kia Boys' shared a video that shows people how to steal Kia cars on their social media such as TikTok or YouTube just for fun, it has become a trend to steal Kia cars. 

The number of Kia thefts has spiked because models of Kias and Hyundais manufactured between 2010 and 2021 were being targeted since they do not have an ignition immobilizer. Models that are being targeted were made with traditional steel keys. According to the Cook County sheriff's office, 601 robbery reports of Hyundai and Kia cars were received in Chicago in September alone. Even though the department has not released any evidence that links the theft by the four kids and the trend, Buffalo Police have not ruled out that they might have been doing the challenge.

Other owners of Kia cars that were stolen filed a lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia for making cars that can be easily stolen. In response, the company gave a statement saying that it would provide steering wheel lock devices at no cost to concerned owners of steel key operated Kia vehicles not originally equipped with an immobilizer. Kia said that its newer models are more secure since they have immobilizers, and all Kia vehicles meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. 

Using social media platforms, users can experience and learn many things that they would not be able to if social media had not been invented. However, lots of harmful contents are being uploaded without strict censorship which allows the users to judge the value of the contents. For teenagers who do not have enough ability to distinguish incendiary things of a trend, social media platforms should enforce their censorship.