High or low cortisol? S’pore students join TikTok trend rating teachers on level of stress induced

SINGAPORE - Students in Singapore have joined a TikTok trend of rating their teachers based on whether these educators induce high or low cortisol – or stress – in their students.

The trend sees photos of the teachers plastered on a screen one by one, as they are divided into one of two groups.

A photo of a cortisol meter is added in the line-up. For teachers who do not induce stress, the indicator points to the “low” section, and for those who do, the indicator points to the “high” section.

According to national health portal HealthHub, cortisol is a stress hormone, triggered when people feel threatened. If a person is under constant stress, excessive cortisol can lead to health problems such as rapid weight gain and high blood pressure.

In some videos seen by The Straits Times, the word “mogged” is superimposed on the faces of teachers who induce high cortisol.

The slang, which appears to be based on the term Alpha Male of Group, or AMOG, means to outdo someone in terms of one’s physical features or charisma.

According to checks by ST, students participating in the trend are a mix of primary and secondary school students from more than 10 schools.

One of the earliest videos of the trend in Singapore was posted on Feb 16, and the latest on Feb 25.

In the comments section of the TikTok videos, current and former students share their agreements and disagreements on the ratings, while others warn the original posters of the respective videos that they might get into trouble for posting the videos.

Some commenters have said the videos were raised during their school morning assemblies.

“My school had a Monday assembly on an exact video like this and we got (scolded),” said one user, while another said their principal joked about being put in the low-cortisol category.

The trend can also be seen in countries such as the US, Britain, Vietnam and the Philippines.

One Singapore educator told ST that the trend was par for the course for teachers, adding that students at the primary and secondary school level are more impressionable and are sometimes quick to form opinions.

The primary school teacher, who has been teaching for 11 years, noted that there were various factors that influence a student’s perception of his or her teacher.

These include the student’s interest in the subject, how much weight the subject carries academically, and even the teacher’s looks.

“The trend is amusing, in a loose sense of the word,” said the 37-year-old, who did not want to be identified.

Another teacher said it was disappointing to see students take their “canteen gossip” online.

Ms Mariah (not her real name), 28, said: “It shows a lack of maturity and understanding of what is appropriate to post online and empathy for teachers.”

The tertiary-level teacher said she empathised with the teachers targeted as their livelihood and their reputation could be ruined by “careless entertainment”.

Ms Mariah, who has been teaching for five years, was also concerned that parents might believe the rating, take issue with the teacher, and make a complaint to school management.

The Ministry of Education (MOE), in response to queries, said it is aware of the videos.

It added that through Character and Citizenship Education lessons, students are taught to be gracious, responsible and respectful, including in the online space.

“Schools will engage and counsel students accordingly, should they be found to be involved in creating and uploading videos with inappropriate content,” said MOE.