What is the TikTok sundress challenge? Inside the deceiving social media trend

Don't raid your closet for a midi or maxi just yet. The sundress challenge that has swept TikTok doesn't involve dresses...or any type of clothing, for that matter. The seemingly innocent social media trend is actually more risqué than the name implies, so be careful when searching those hashtags!

Even though the video-sharing platform is known for offering TikTok hacks and finding good fashion trend—be it must-have yoga pants or famous TikTok jeans—the sundress challenge has actually gone so far as to get banned. We'll fill you in on everything you need to know about this TikTok no-no. 

So, what is the sundress challenge?

Forget the dress—literally! The sundress challenge is essentially just about having sex in public places. The person who is up to said challenge dons a sundress, heads out with their love interest, and attempts to get frisky as many times as possible in public areas like the beach or park. (Well, we guess there is a sundress involved at some point...)

What does the sundress challenge look like?

We can't actually say what sundress challenge videos look like because they've been banned. (Though we can only imagine what they might've entailed!) 

What happens when you search "sundress challenge" on TikTok?

Nothing X-rated will arise. You'll just get a message that reads "No results found." The fine print reads: "This phrase may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines."

Does the sundress challenge exist on other social media platforms?

While the challenge has yet to be banned across other platforms, people can still find conversations about it on Twitter. On Instagram, you'll mostly find actual sundresses when searching through the 800-plus posts under the #sundresschallenge tag. 

This certainly isn't the first time something naughty arose on TikTok. Another recent trend to sweep the app is sneaky links. Although it has yet to be banned like the sundress challenge, it's more than likely headed in that direction. 

Essentially, sneaky links are social media's way of making hookups happen: Sneaky links allows users to meet up in real life for a secretive, casual fling. Believe it or not, the truly dedicated followers even go so far as to have a sneaky links schedule. When searching the hashtag, you'll find memes, lingerie shots, beauty go-tos, and definitely some mature content. 

Sadly, some hashtags and trends go beyond steamy content and cross over into horrific behavior: TikTok's April 24 trend showed a truly heinous side of social media. The platform's users claimed that a group of men reportedly declared April 24th as "national sexual assault day" and allegedly provided tips on how to assault people. When it began trending, the "April24" hashtag had over 25 million combined views. However, a spokesperson was quoted in Newsweek (opens in new tab) saying that the company found no evidence of videos of this nature existing on the app. 

We're all for a few good kitchen hacks and makeup recommendations, but sometimes social media can get dark—and quickly. Stay safe when searching those trends and communicating with users!