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When you become the prop so someone else can get the clicks
People are seeking attention at all costs in a bid to go viral. You can get dragged into such clips and this is taking a toll, especially on women.
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Attention seekers, such as this man who charged towards American pop star Ariana Grande in Singapore, pull stunts that can exact a heavy toll on women.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Gemma Calvert
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As 2025 draws to a close, a troubling pattern has emerged across cities worldwide: a surge in intrusive-filming incidents, prank attacks and attention-seeking stunts that turn ordinary people into unwilling participants in someone else’s viral content.
In June, a Long Island man was arrested after entering private homes and filming residents without consent; in Paris, a TikToker was jailed for frightening strangers with a “syringe prank”; in Florida, teenagers recording the “door-kick challenge” were arrested after terrifying homeowners; and just this month, a metro commuter was handcuffed without warning by a content creator staging a “reel”.
