Hoax – Candies with needles and pins are being distributed to children in schools because of a supposed TikTok ‘trend’.
Analysis
Alert messages and videos of supposed complaints have been circulating with great intensity on social media and messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, generating apprehension among parents and guardians.
The viral content suggests a grave and imminent risk: the distribution of sweets contaminated with sharp objects, such as pins and needles, to children, often of school age. This alarming scenario would be linked to an internet “trend,” specifically on TikTok, known as “Thank You Kind Uncle” or “Kind Uncle.”
This narrative quickly gained traction, driven by videos showing the opening of candies, where, in fact, pins are found inside. The message of concern is clear and direct, aiming at the protection of minors and encouraging distrust of any gift or sweet offered by strangers.
Version 1: URGENT “THANK YOU KIND UNCLE” My God! MANY VIRAL VIDEOS AND REPORTS OF PEOPLE RECEIVING CANDIES WITH NEEDLES INSIDE ARE APPEARING! ” THE MAIN TARGET IS CHILDREN, BE CAREFUL! DO NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING FROM STRANGERS! Version 2: HALLOWEEN Urgent: Thank You Kind Uncle Attention! Candies with needles inside are circulating! Main target: children. Do not accept anything from strangers
Fact Check
The circulation of alerts about sweets with dangerous objects, such as pins and needles, reaches a high level of concern, mobilizing the attention of parents and society in general. To determine if this threat is real and if it is indeed connected to an international trend with incidents, we sought to answer three crucial questions: 1) Are candies with pins and needles being given to children in schools in the Kind Uncle trend? 2) What is the context of the Kind Uncle trend in Russia and other countries? 3) Is it possible that candies with pins and needles might start being given to children in schools?
Are candies with pins and needles being given to children in schools in the Kind Uncle trend?
According to the investigation, the information that “candies with pins and needles are being given to children in schools in the Kind Uncle trend” is not supported by confirmed facts. The circulating message, which mentions “Thank You Kind Uncle” and the distribution in schools, is a distortion of different pieces of information that, combined, generated an unfounded alarm in the local and international context. There is no official record or reporting by reliable sources that validates the delivery of these candies in schools or any other location in the region or other countries.
What is the context of the Kind Uncle trend in Russia and internationally?
The so-called “Kind Uncle trend” (which, in Russian, translates as спасибо добрый дядя – thank you, kind uncle) indeed exists in Russia and circulates on platforms like TikTok. However, it is crucial to analyze its content. The original videos show the opening of candies with pins, but there is no mention or evidence that these sweets are being distributed to children or that the practice is widespread.
The “trend” appears to have an isolated character and, in some cases, may be staged to gain views, not constituting an act of mass distribution. More importantly, there is no indication that this “trend” has established itself or generated confirmed incidents in the local region or in other countries.
Is it possible that candies with pins and needles might start being given to children in schools?
Although the circulating videos and reports are, in fact, a distortion of information and there are no confirmed reports of children who have suffered from this (beyond mere anecdotal mentions), the risk that someone might be inspired by the dissemination of the content and try to replicate the action cannot be dismissed.
The circulation of false content, or the distortion of information, can inadvertently give “ideas” to people with malicious intentions. However, it is important to underline that any individual who commits such an act is subject to criminal accountability, which also poses a risk to the perpetrator.
Conclusion
The messages circulating online about candies with pins and needles being distributed to children in schools in the region or other countries, because of the “Kind Uncle trend,” are a combination of misinformation. Despite the existence of videos in Russia under the tag “thank you kind uncle” showing sweets with sharp objects, there is no proof, official report, or evidence that this practice has been recorded in schools. The story is a distortion of facts that, while causing concern, has not materialized as a real and confirmed international threat.
Fake news ❌
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