Bizarre teen social media challenges are nothing new (recall the cinnamon challenge, Beezin', the Kylie Jenner lip challenge, the condom challenge, Tide Pod challenge, and more). A new one, "beaning," concerned the West Yorkshire police enough that they issued a warning to shopkeepers and parents.
In the "beaning" trend, tricky kids dump cans of baked beans on doorsteps and spread the contents around. Then, they upload a video of the stunt to social media (here's one example, and here's another). Like the decades-old practices of toilet-papering and egging houses, the trend seems to accomplish little more than waste perfectly good things and inconvenience neighbors.
"The craze has proven to be popular with over 1.2m views under the hashtag "#beanbandits", where kids show off their bean-based pranks.
Though it's not just doorsteps that are being "beaned" – even driveways, front doors and cars are not safe.
In a statement, reported by the Yorkshire Post, PCSO Michelle Owens said: "It has come to the attention of the police that a new trend has started by groups of youths called 'beaning'."
Sinead Butler for Indy 500
