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The ceiling challenge, a new TikTok trend, reportedly led to a student getting expelled. TikTok has become one of the prime sources of innovative and sometimes bizarre fads that keep social media users hooked for some time before they move on to the next trend.
Similarly, the ceiling challenge, one of the latest trends, entails creators taping their cellphones to either their wall or the upper interior surface of a room while they dance facing the camera. It naturally captures the video from a towering angle, which is unusual and intriguing to watch.
While this trend took over the internet, it did not come with a set of guidelines or rules on how to dance for this challenge. In most of the most viewed videos on this challenge, people were twerking as users claimed they found the best ‘angle’ for the dance form.
One of the earliest known videos of this challenge that went viral shows the user, @michaelfirshort, dancing to the track 'Surround Sound' by J.I.D., featuring Baby Tate and 21 Savage. That video, posted on October 6, 2023, was shot from a bird’s eye view.
It showed the entire process of how the clip was recorded. One person out of a group reached up to tape their cell phone to the underside of the roof of the room, after which the group danced for a few seconds. The post amassed over 5.1 million views, and eventually, more users started trying it out.
Internet reacts to student's reported expulsion for doing the ceiling challenge
A student from Nigeria’s Madonna University in Okija was allegedly expelled from the institution after she took part in the viral Ceiling challenge, and the video caught the attention of the university staff. She was seen twerking in the video while being scantily clothed.
The creator, identified as @Gennydbaddie, deleted the clip on TikTok after the university reportedly withdrew her file, claiming that she defamed the institution. The clip was reposted on other social media platforms, and netizens soon took to the comments to react to the expulsion.
While some said that she should have kept her institution's rules in mind before posting the video, others criticized the university for choosing an extreme method of punishment and expelling Genny.
Origin of the ceiling challenge on TikTok
TikTok creator @josiahlebante14, aka Josiah Lebante, claims to be the first one to invent the ceiling challenge. In his bio, he introduces himself as a “17-year-old aspiring filmmaker.” He first dropped the video of the ceiling challenge on September 8, 2023. There, he fixed his phone to a ceiling, and the scene cut to him dancing with his friends beneath it. The video has been viewed over 24 million times till now.
In a follow-up video, Josiah explained how he came up with the trend. During lunchtime at school, the 17-year-old told his friends about his idea for a new TikTok challenge. He wished to create a video where the perspective would be from a bird’s eye view. Josiah said that he was inspired by Karl Shakur for this idea, a visual artist and adventure photographer.
