One of the biggest trending topics in the news today is the clown threat that is spreading throughout the nation. On every form of social media, people are buzzing about the clown epidemic. While the trend started off as a humorous meme, it spread like wildfire in the news. The very first clown sighting dated back to August, when residents in Greenville County, South Carolina, reported seeing a person wearing a clown costume walking around the neighborhood. The clown was reportedly trying to lure children into the woods with them.
Many other similar reports followed, involving people in clown costumes attempting to lure children away. The reports escalated when the threats went from targeting children to targeting schools. Videos of clown sightings appeared on Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram, and other social media platforms.
In colleges such as Fairfield University and Pennsylvania State, videos surfaced of rumored clowns walking around the campus, causing fear in the area. Locally, at Stillmeadow Elementary School, recess was cancelled due to student sightings of alleged clowns with knives waiting outside the school. Although they appear violent, no one has been physically harmed by these clowns. However, photos of bleeding clowns have surfaced on social media and it seems as if the public is beginning to fight back against the clowns.
“It is downright outrageous. Someone needs to stand up to this,” said junior Chris Ferraro.
When the issue of the clowns and their alleged dangers surfaced, the internet came up with theories regarding its authenticity. The most popular theory is the idea that the whole trend is a hoax. Online articles state that the idea that the two groups of “bad clowns,” clowns that are attempting to kidnap children and harm people, do not exist. Rather, it was all a joke that seemed to spin itself into a worldwide phenomenon via the internet.
Regardless of its reliability, it is undeniable that clown sightings will be marked as one of the biggest trending topics that took place in 2016.
