Teens film and provoke man at Home Depot in viral video attempt
By Willie Daniely
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CARY, North Carolina (WRAL) — A routine trip to a local Home Depot turned into a distressing experience for a Cary family, as a woman reported that her father was targeted by a group of teenagers engaging in a troubling trend.
She posted in part, “A group of teens appeared to be provoking him while filming- apparently part of a disturbing trend where individuals elicit a reaction and record it.”
Dr. Alice Cheng, a professor from NC State, has conducted research into social media and its impact. She says while social media platforms may not explicitly encourage such conduct, they inadvertently create an environment where provocative content is rewarded, leading to an increase in confrontational incidents.
“What we are seeing here from my view is a collision between viral attention incentives and the real-world risk,” Cheng said. “Teenagers are treating public spaces like social media platforms, but the consequences offline are far less predictable.”
Cheng told WRAL News that when teenagers see certain content go viral, they often seek to recreate it even if it could be damaging.
“They (social media platforms) do reward the content that triggers a strong reaction and that creates an incentive structure where confrontation feels profitable sometimes even,” Cheng said.
This incident is not isolated, as similar occurrences have been documented, some gaining millions of views online. The impact of these trends has prompted some users to reconsider their engagement with social media, opting to distance themselves from platforms that appear to reward negative interactions.
The Cary Police Department is currently investigating the reported assault, adding that they are trying to contact the man who was allegedly assaulted by the teens. A Home Depot shopper emphasized the unpredictability of human reactions, urging teenagers to exercise caution and awareness of the possible repercussions of their actions.
“You’re not in a controlled environment; you don’t know how someone is going to react, you don’t know if someone has PTSD or if someone has anger management issues,” the shopper said. “So you do have to be careful when you are interacting with strangers.”
As of now, the incident remains under investigation. WRAL News has reached out to Home Depot for a comment and is waiting to hear back.
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