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The Big Dig

Some TikToks of teens digging massive sand pits at the beach have millions of views, and there are a lot of these videos on the platform from multiple users.
Some TikToks of teens digging massive sand pits at the beach have millions of views, and there are a lot of these videos on the platform from multiple users. Gif: Gizmodo

Digging in sand at the beach is usually innocuous fun. But on TikTok, bigger is better if you’re trying to rack up views. In the platform’s apparent beach excavation trend, tiny plastic shovels and other sand castle accoutrements are replaced by large shovels and a determination to go deep.

Unfortunately, digging a massive pit on the beach and leaving it there has downsides—both for human safety and the ecosystem. Large holes can be a fall hazard for other beachgoers and can trap sea turtle hatchlings and other beach wildlife, according to multiple news reports from local Florida media outlets.

If you do opt to dig a hole, please fill it in—if not for humanity, then for the turtles’ sake.

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