DoctorOz: Hidden Camera Test Reveals How Strangers React to a Child in Need

Let's start with that hidden camera project, the first of its kind. The scenario is this, a mom scolds her daughter for what she's eating, but she does it in public to the point of humiliation. How would you deal? We rigged the TikTok diner with hidden cameras and concealed microphones under the tables and on countertops. Then we brought in Joey Salads, a rising YouTube star who specializes in social experiments to help us pull off a few of our own. We then brought in two actors to play a mother scolding her 10-year-old daughter for ordering unhealthy food. You make terrible choices. Joey was stationed nearby to observe the reactions of our unsuspecting guests in the diner. You don't need to keep telling me. If you got it, then you'd order correctly. Would they come to our daughter's defense or would they look the other way? I think I'm gonna get pancakes. Pancakes. You know that pancakes are, like, loaded in sugar. Like, that's basically what pancake is. Sugar. You have to learn to make good decisions on your own. Don't you want to fit in? As our mother begins to reprimand our 10-year-old daughter, the nearby customers start to take notice. I don't even know why I took you out to breakfast. That's shame on me. Don't you want a boyfriend? You're embarrassing me. You want to feel embarrassed? Then go into school eating candy bars and stuff. Then you'll feel embarrassed. Okay, we're gonna do this for a third time now. What are you getting? This is your dad. I will be right back. Order something that's the right choice. Do not order pancakes. When our actress steps away from the table, the customers look like they're one step from intervening. But don't. If she looked up at me, I would have said something, but... Wow, okay, we love you. But one mother and daughter, on the other hand, became visibly upset. And decided to act. She's up to something. They began writing an encouraging note to our 10-year-old. What does it say? God made you beautiful and perfect. That was sweet. But instead of giving her the note, she chooses to show her even more compassion. Hey, sweetie. I just wanted to let you know that God made you beautiful and perfect, okay? Thank you. All right, I'm coming up. It was time for Joey to step in. Excuse me, guys. I'm sorry to bother you. I'm filming a social experiment with the Dr. Oz show. Now, how did it make you feel seeing the mother talk to her daughter like that? She should be supportive and not shaming her daughter. It was a really awkward situation. I really felt like she should have pulled her to the side and did all that. I didn't really feel like it was my place to, like, come over and tell somebody how to parent. Having that conversation the way she did was just so hurtful. Yeah. And that that would change her life forever. I remember the struggle of being in high school and having all those pressures. It's hard. I hurt for those girls that don't feel like they can't fit in. Thank you guys so much. Give me a hug. You're so nice. Joey Salas is here along with mother Carrie and daughter Paige. Carrie, you had a very emotional reaction, but it didn't stop there. I can tell you, you're physically in distress. You couldn't even eat. Oh, no, I was shaking. My hands were literally shaking. I had a really hard time. Yeah. Why do you think that was? It brought up issues from my own past and how hard it is to have body, you know, issues. And how something as little as just a few words can change your life forever. In seventh grade, I overheard a couple guys say something about me in a very positive way. And it really changed a horrible seventh grade year into a wonderful life. Just a few words. Seventh grade is tough for a lot of reasons. Yeah, true, true. And, you know, I've just watched this whole interaction. The note you wrote and what you wrote. Right. I just feel that sometimes just a few words can change somebody's life in such a positive way. And, you know, when somebody's being, you know, bullied and humiliated like that, it really affects them. And, you know, I wanted this little girl to grow up and love herself and go on and just know that she'll make all the right choices for her life. Would you have spoken for the mom? I wanted to, but being in a public situation like that and not knowing her, I didn't want her to retaliate on me and then make a big scene for the for the establishment that we were at and cause a scene. So I just thought I'd focus on the little girl. And Paige, you were emotional as well. Watch your mom go through the struggle writing the note. I don't believe I was so much getting emotional because my mom was. I was getting emotional because I felt the pain for that little girl. I know I've gone through self-confident issues and body issues. But the difference was I always had my mom there to come home to to tell me I was beautiful, to tell me I'm perfect. I just felt the pain. I felt the pain for that little girl that she didn't have that because that home love is so important. No matter how old you are, but especially for those little girls. You were blessed to have a mom who cares that much. So, Joe, you have created a sensation creating these types of responses going all over the place with these social experiments that have just taxed us and drives us to really address how would people deal? What was the strategy here, the thought? So usually I just go out and I like to take a problem in society and I like to put it in a real life situation to just test how people would react and find a way how to even try to fix these problems. So that's how it started. Well, it's entertaining, too, but it's emotionally gripping, which is what we witnessed here. Let me talk to the actress, if you don't mind, because I think she did a great job. Michelle played the critical mom, which it's hard to do that. I almost started crying again. So why was it such an emotional experience for you, even though on the surface you were pretending? I mean, I am a mom just to a two-year-old, but I think that words are very impactful. And I also thought on my way to the shoot, I wonder if anybody really is going to say anything to me. I'm not sure I would say anything because moms are defensive. Like, this is my kid. Don't tell me how to raise my kid. I had first thought maybe that's how I'll come back. And they were like, no, no, we want people to talk to you and don't attack. And I said, oh, OK. And then the second half, I was worried about the young lady. I knew she was young, and I know we're role-playing, but I just wanted to make sure that she knew it was fake, that this wasn't real, because she got emotional. And I got scared. Oh, gosh, I just scarred this child. But she wound up, she had an eyelash in her eye. We high-fived. But it's a deep emotion. Let me ask the audience. Who here thinks that a mom has the right to reprimand a child for a health issue that's fundamentally of concern to both? Hands up. Who wants to comment on it? Go ahead. I think you need to create that lifestyle in your home. So instead of telling, show. So healthy foods, ice cream causes this, that, whatever. So the lifestyle. So let me ask you this. Part of the challenge we saw there was a lot of folks are very worried about interfering with a very sensitive relationship between a mom and a daughter. Would you guys have intervened? Because there's a risk of repercussions for the daughter afterwards. I think if it would have gotten worse, and it was worse, if it would have gotten worse than that, I think I probably would have, and I just would have accepted whatever. I would have been praying as I was doing it. But I would have just, just whatever. All right.