Mom fined for pranking child with egg on TikTok
A Swedish mother has been fined and ordered to pay damages for a viral TikTok prank that involved cracking an egg on her daughter's forehead, raising concerns about the use of children in online content.
A 24-year-old Swedish mother has been convicted of harassment and fined for participating in a viral TikTok trend that involved cracking a raw egg on her young daughter's forehead.
The mother filmed the prank and shared it online, but authorities deemed the act 'degrading' and 'reckless' after an anonymous tip-off prompted an investigation.
According to IOL, the court ordered the mother to pay her daughter SEK 20,000 (approximately R35,000) in damages. Prosecutor Emma Olsson condemned the prank, stating: "You simply don’t do that to a child. To record and humiliate the child and then broadcast it to thousands of viewers … I find that incredibly degrading. It’s a reckless act."
The case has raised significant ethical questions about the use of children in viral stunts and the permissibility of using them as props in parental content.
Critics are debating whether children should be treated as vehicles for their parents' digital ambitions, particularly in today's digital landscape, where viral trends can easily spiral out of control.
The mother maintains that the stunt was harmless fun, but the court's ruling suggests otherwise. The case highlights the potential consequences of sharing children's images and videos online without their consent and the importance of considering their well-being and dignity.
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