On January 9th when TikTok went dark, sensational headlines began circulating online, claiming that youth across the United States flooded 911 call centres in a panic over a TikTok shutdown. Articles included inflammatory clickbait headline titles such as:
- “Youth Reportedly Calling 911 in Panic”
- “Ban Results in 911 Calls Surge as Panic Grips Teens and Children”
- “These Kids Need to Touch Grass: Internet Reacts as 911 Sees Spike in Calls Over TikTok Ban”
- “Stop Calling Us! Americans Flood 911 During TikTok Outage”
These headlines painted a dramatic picture of young people as addicted, hysterical, and out of control. In fact, some are using these headlines as proof as to the “addictiveness” of TikTok. But, did this flood of 911 calls actually happen? The short answer: No!
The headlines appear to stem from a recording shared online of a dispatch call from the Anoka County Sheriff’s Department. In the recording, a dispatcher can be heard stating:
“Welfare check on a caller, 10 street RP saying they love TikTok and is very incoherent saying he is not an American.” (1)
This vague dispatch raises several questions for us:
- Was the “reporting person” (RP) an adult or a teen?
- Why were they incoherent? Was the person experiencing a mental health crisis and what was the actual cause, or were drugs or alcohol involved?
- Was the actual call made to 911 or the non-emergency number
These are critical details that were missing from the recording that would actually add context as to the “Why”
We also located one other media report, seemingly originating from the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office that was also posted on social media on January 18 (2) We could not prove the content or legitimacy of this call.
After conducting an extensive online and media search, we found no other evidence of other police departments reporting an actual flood of 911 calls related to TikTok being down made by teens. Instead, we uncovered several public announcements from law enforcement advising citizens not to call 911 about TikTok outages. However, these announcements appear to have been preemptive measures rather than responses to actual calls. (3)
Why issue preemptive announcements? It’s likely based on past experiences. For example, when Facebook went down in 2010, some law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Canada did receive calls from users asking for help. (4) Anticipating a similar reaction with TikTok, these agencies may have been proactive in addressing the potential issue.
The single dispatch call from Anoka County, and the one from Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office that we couldn’t confirm, appears to have been enough to inspire a slew of sensationalized clickbait headlines that implied teens were collectively losing their minds over TikTok and calling 911 all across the U.S. However, this media narrative was not true, and unfairly labels young people as irrational and overly dependent on social media, feeding into stereotypes about youth and technology.
As parents, it’s essential to approach stories like this with a critical eye. Sensational headlines often aim to generate clicks rather than present an accurate picture of events. The truth is far less dramatic: while there may have been isolated incidents, there is no evidence to suggest that youth flooded 911 centres in a panic over TikTok going dark – NONE!
This incident highlights a broader societal tendency to blame young people for issues tied to technology. Instead of jumping to conclusions, we should focus on fostering healthy discussions with our kids about technology use, emotional resilience, and how to manage unexpected disruptions.
The narrative of teens as addicted mindless tech zombies flooding 911 centres over TikTok is not only misleading but also harmful. It perpetuates unfair stereotypes and distracts from meaningful conversations about digital literacy and mental health. (5) As parents, let’s strive to separate fact from fiction and help our kids navigate the digital world with clarity and confidence.
PS: It’s been our experience that most inappropriate 911 calls are not initiated by teens, rather they are initiated by adults (6) – Just saying!
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech
References:
1/ https://x.com/nicksortor/status/1880847233803034650
3/ https://www.ktvu.com/news/tik-tok-users-emotional-roller-coaster-after-app-goes-dark-returns-online
