Opinion: The viral ‘meet your teacher’ prank on TikTok is bad parenting, full stop

At every turn, it seems we’re reminded how important it is for our kids to be kind. So why, pray tell, would anyone ever think it’s OK to teach our kids to be scared of someone’s appearance? Or that it’s OK to judge people based on what they look like? Or, worst of all, that looking “atypical” is something to fear?

That—and more—is exactly what’s wrong with the “meet your teacher” prank that’s going viral on TikTok. Because it’s not funny. It’s just mean.

In case you’re not up to speed, here’s a quick run-down of the Meet Your Teacher prank that will likely pop up on your algorithm at some point. It begins with a parent (more often than not a white mom) searching Google for images of people who don’t fit the health, wellness, and appearance standards of the upper middle class (think mug shots of possible addicts, differently-abled people, people who aren’t thin, etc.). They then feign a FaceTime call with this person and trick their children into thinking they’re speaking with their teacher. That this person, whom the parent clearly finds detestable, is their teacher for the upcoming school year. The kids then typically react in fear or mimic the cruelty their parents are displaying by engaging in this prank.

Regardless of whether the images are of real people (they usually are) or AI illustrations, it’s just mean. Period.

Another thing I personally find insulting about it is that it’s not even funny. I have an excellent sense of humor, I love dirty jokes, and it takes A LOT to get me to wince when it comes to foul language. This kind of “humor” isn’t really humor at all. It’s small. It’s lazy. And it serves no purpose other than to show our kids it’s perfectly fine to make fun of someone’s looks, social or economic circumstances, or health.

Also? Teachers work so hard to build good rapport with their students, and that begins with a good first impression. And scaring kids just plain stinks. A lot of the kids look to their parents in these videos to see how to react—what a terrible lesson they’re getting from the people who are supposed to shape them into kind humans.

This social media trend first began three years ago. In 2020, Lizzie Velasquez, a well-known anti-bullying activist, spoke out against the prank’s cruelty after she was targeted in it. Velasquez has both a rare form of Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that impacts tissue connectivity, and lipodystrophy, a syndrome that causes a person to lose fat from some parts of the body, while gaining it in others, including internal organs. She travels the world as a motivational speaker, talking about the importance of self-confidence, and an empathetic approach bullying, which includes care for the bully and the victim.

In 2020, she saw a viral video where a mother used her photo to prank a child into thinking that Velasquez would be his teacher for the upcoming school year.

“He had a scared reaction on his face,” Velasquez said. “If you are an adult who has a young human in your life, please do not teach them that being scared of someone who does not look like them is okay. Please, everything that these kids need to know about having empathy and being kind to one another starts at home.”

Unfortunately, it’s 2023 and school is starting for most of the country later this month, and this “trend” is making the rounds yet again.

Parents, we can’t complain about bullying nor can we preach about being kind when “pranks” like this exist. It’s not “harmless” to the people in those photos, who are still human beings who deserve to be treated with humanity regardless of what they look like or what their circumstances are. There are plenty of ways to demonstrate humor without using a real person as the butt of your joke.

Children are born curious, not hateful. Let’s not teach them these feelings by demonstrating a little sensitivity and empathy—that’s our job, after all.