As the KO community gets into the swing of things, an unusual social media trend has begun spiraling around campus. Students are being influenced by people posting videos of zipper pulls they claim to have stolen to popular platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. These zipper pulls look like dangly little pieces of string and plastic that attach to the zippers on backpacks. The challenge encourages people to collect as many zipper pulls as possible.
This trend has been spreading through numerous schools all over the U.S., including Hall High School and Conard High School. The popular backpacks at risk for zipper theft are North Face and Nike Elite, where the zipper pull is easy to remove. These backpacks are expensive, retailing for more than $80, which adds to the allure of the theft.
Upper School Dean of Students Kata Baker shares her perspective on kids at KO who have been following this trend. Due to social media, the number of incidents at KO has been spiking. “This trend is like a game, often fueled by peer pressure,” Ms. Baker explained. “Kids stealing these zipper pulls see it as a non-serious activity and will do it just to fit in.”
Although this trend may seem like a harmless joke, it is very frustrating and causes distrust throughout the community. Students are now hesitant to leave their backpacks and other belongings out in the open for fear of their zipper pulls getting stolen. “It has gotten to the point where students are asking Mrs. Perkins and myself to leave their backpacks in our offices during lunch,” Mrs. Baker said.
Because a zipper pull doesn’t appear very valuable, kids who steal them may not realize the impact they are causing. An anonymous junior discussed why kids around the community may be following this destructive trend. “Their intention is not to cause harm, but just to make it seem like a joke,” they said. It may seem minor, but without a zipper pull, it is nearly impossible to open a backpack. “Students do this for social validation. They then will clip the stolen pulls onto their own backpack so others can view their collection,” the student said. This competition for the most zippers only further escalates the issue. To break the trend, it may only take one student involved to have the courage to stop the progression of the theft. After that, others will hopefully catch on.
Moving forward, the Kingswood Oxford community feels optimistic that this trend will die down. KO students should feel safe enough to leave their backpacks out in the open without the threat of vandalism.
