Teens have been doing pretty much anything they can think of to buy alcohol since … well, forever. But according to reports, the current health crisis may have given some a leg up on that front, now that face masks are required before entering many stores. This makes it a bit more challenging to see if someone's face matches up to the one on the ID. Well, according to the New York Post, teens are dressing up as old ladies in face masks to buy booze — and it's actually working.
To be fair, this isn't exactly a proven "trend" yet.
But after several recent TikTok videos went viral for featuring teens trying it out as a prank — and succeeding — it looks like Gen Z has become a bit inspired.
"Granny be looking a little different here!" TikTok user @claare__18 wrote in the caption of one post.
Yep — she definitely does.
In the clip which has since been removed, the teen is seen throwing on "old lady" clothes in her bedroom before putting on a wrinkly mask and wig.
Then, she covers up her face with a surgical mask before entering the store — and emerging with a bag full of hard cider.
By the end of the video, the teen is seen dancing and (of course) twerking with her friends over their score.
They aren't the only ones going the grandma route.
In another TikTok video, three friends chronicle multiple trips to liquor stores, where one girl pretends to accompany her elderly grandma inside. The teen is wearing a headscarf, glasses, and (of course) her trusty face mask. She's also clad in a handbag, cardigan, and other grandma-like attire.
As she walks, she gets assistance from her "granddaughter" — aka her friend who looks as though she's about to burst out laughing.
But in the end, it works. They exit the stores with a stash of Mike's Hard Lemonade and Smirnoff vodka, and squeal with delight once they get back in the car.
"OMG it worked!" they exclaim.
The New York Post references several other similar videos, too, though many appear to have been removed or marked private since taking off online.
Many can be found under the hashtag #alcoholchallenge or #grandma. Although it's hard to say for sure whether this trend is truly "sweeping the Web," let's be honest: Have you ever met a TikTok challenge a teen wasn't willing to take on? I'm willing to bet we see a lot more where these came from in the coming days.
You gotta hand it to Gen Z -- this one's pretty clever.
That said, if you've got teens at home, consider this your warning to march into their rooms right now and search all the drawers for grandma masks.
(Yep — you're welcome.)
