With the increasing push for social media presence, likes and views are more important than ever before. Now parents will often do whatever it takes to get those views, even at the expense of their kids.
But one has to wonder when it becomes too much.
That was a question crossing many people's minds when TikToker @haylee_b14 shared a video of her two sons being pranked by a Grinch character entering their home and stealing their presents, only for the boys to be traumatized by it.
When the Grinch entered the home, the older son, approximately age seven or eight, stood on the couch and threw a pillow at him. But when the grumpy Christmas character approached the Christmas tree, the son was ready to fight.
The younger son, approximately age three, was not so sure and quickly began crying as he watched his brother fighting with the Grinch, the Grinch stealing their presents, and the Grinch pushing his brother around the room.
You can watch the video here:
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Shortly before the end of the video, the younger son can be seen backing up toward his mother, who was recording the video, looking at her, crying, and seeking comfort.
At the end of the video, the father appeared to hold the older son back, so the Grinch could steal some of their presents, and as he exited with his garbage bag, he gave the younger boy one more look, who cried in protest, and exited the house.
The video garnered swift attention on TikTok and in under two days had 5.7 million likes, 85 thousand comments, and 517 thousand shares.
The video also gained immediate attention on Twitter, where viewers had far more divided views about the video.
Some thought that the video was going much too far and was not funny.
Others thought these viewers were being too sensitive and found the video funny.
Holidays and birthdays are generally times when parents do everything they can to create lasting memories for their children.
But social media was not sure what kind of memories a prank like this was going to create for these children.
