Southwest Florida Sounds Alarm on Troubling TikTok Trend

Imagine waking up in the dead of night to the sound of an explosive bang on your door. That's the reality facing many residents of southwest Florida, including those in Lehigh Acres, thanks to a troubling TikTok trend known as the "Door Kick Challenge." It's not your typical harmless prank. This one involves kids kicking doors and fleeing the scene, leaving homeowners on edge.

It's only getting worse. Just ask my friend in Cape Coral, who not only had his door kicked but also found himself dealing with a fire lit in front of his house. It's crazy that such a reckless act is being passed off as a prank. It's not funny. This is downright dangerous.

Sheriff Carmine Marceno from the Lee County Sheriff's Office warned against participating in this TikTok challenge when speaking with NBC2. He says that Criminal charges could range from mischief to burglary, potentially leading to jail time. He also urged parents to step in, talk to their kids, and make them understand the gravity of their actions. After all, what might seem like a harmless prank could land them in serious trouble.

We discussed the seriousness of the prank on-air this morning, and our friend Mike from Naples shared his own experience. Even in a gated community, his family was jolted awake by a loud bang in the middle of the night, likely coming from the same TikTok trend. What if someone mistakes these pranksters for burglars or home invaders? Mike agreed about the potential for real life consequences for those involved. My hope is that parents really take the time to talk to their kids about the dangers of this trend.

These days we know that all trends start on social media and one Florida restaurant is one of the most TikTok famous in the country.

Whether it's local here in Fort Myers, Cape Coral or Naples, there's a lot of Instagrammable restaurants. Maybe they have super unique dishes and cocktails, a cool vibe or backdrops perfect for pictures. And there's also those if you want to take it one step further and make a fun video for TikTok. The dining experience has gone beyond just what the food tastes like and good service. Everything these days goes on social media. And now social media has become somewhat of a search engine for new restaurants to check out. Now this is a trend I can get on-board with.

Betway is an online gambling site and they just released data from a study on the most TikTok-famous restaurants in the country. US. For their research, they looked at the 160 most popular restaurants coast to coast and the number of views for each hashtag that had something to with restaurants. One restaurant here in Florida is one of most famous on TikTok.

Commander's Palace is located in the lower Garden District. One thing I feel like I NEED to check out is the 25 cent martini brunch.

Pietro Nolita is an Italian restaurant located in Manhattan. Almost everything in the restaurant is pink, even the food & drinks!

If you're looking for a great place to watch the sunset, Louie's Backyard is the spot. With great waterfront dining, you'll feel like you're on vaca in no time.

Boulder is such a picturesque place and this restaurant offers views like no other. Keep this in mind for true Colorado fine dining.

I saw one TikTok where she's talking about brunch costing $450. So it might not be cheap, but some say it's the best restaurant in Malibu.

Oiji Mi is a Michelin-Star restaurant in NYC. One TikTok'r said it was one of the prettiest restaurants she's ever seen.

Perch is a rooftop restaurant in downtown LA. They're serving up delicious food and amazing views of the city.

This place looks absolutely incredible. You're dining RIGHT next to the ocean, as in waves splash up against the windows. I'm adding this to my must-visit list now.

If there's a deli in NYC you've heard of, it's probably Katz's. You better go hungry, their portions are HUGE.

Catch is located in West Hollywood. Perfect for a girl's night!