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Students join trend on TikTok, rating teachers on level of stress induced
The Straits Times
|February 27, 2026
Students in Singapore have joined a TikTok trend of rating their teachers based on whether these educators induce high or low cortisol — or stress — in their students.
The trend sees photos of the teachers plastered on a screen one by one, as they are divided into one of two groups.
A photo of a cortisol meter is added in the lineup. For teachers who do not induce stress, the indicator points to the “low” section, and for those who do, the indicator points to the “high” section.
According to national health portal HealthHub, cortisol is a stress hormone, triggered when people feel threatened. If a person is under constant stress, excessive cortisol can lead to health problems such as rapid weight gain and high blood pressure.
In some videos seen by The Straits Times, the word “mogged” is superimposed on the faces of teachers who induce high cortisol.
The slang, which appears to be based on the term Alpha Male of Group, or AMOG, means to outdo someone in terms of one’s physical features or charisma.
According to checks by ST, students participating in the trend are a mix of primary and secondary school students from more than 10 schools.
This story is from the February 27, 2026 edition of The Straits Times.
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