TikTok has exploded in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the most widely used social media platforms globally. With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok’s short-form videos have given rise to viral trends and challenges that spread like wildfire among users. While many of these trends are harmless entertainment, some have taken a dangerous turn, leading to injury and even death.
One of the most concerning viral TikTok challenges to gain traction lately is the “blackout challenge,” which encourages participants to choke themselves until passing out. The disturbing trend has already been linked to the deaths of several children, sparking fear among parents and demands for TikTok to address the spread of such hazardous viral content.
In this article, we will explore the origins of the blackout challenge, examine why it became popular on TikTok, highlight the serious risks involved, and discuss TikTok’s response to the dangerous trend. With awareness and preventative action, the spread of perilous viral challenges like this one can hopefully be curbed.
Brief History of TikTok
TikTok originated from the app Musical.ly, which was launched in 2014 by Alex Zhu and Luyu Yang. Musical.ly gained popularity as a lip-syncing video app among teenagers and young adults. In 2017, Chinese tech company ByteDance acquired Musical.ly for $1 billion. ByteDance then merged Musical.ly with their similar app Douyin to create TikTok, which launched in 2018 (https://www.prospectusnews.com/2021/10/20/the-history-of-tiktok/).
TikTok quickly became popular worldwide thanks to its fun 15-second videos featuring music, comedy, dance and more. Part of TikTok’s success was its algorithm that analyzes user interactions to serve up a personalized, engaging feed. By 2020, TikTok had over 800 million active users globally and was one of the most downloaded apps (https://www.big3.sg/blog/a-brief-history-of-tiktok-and-its-rise-to-popularity).
Recent Controversial TikTok Trends
Over the years, TikTok has given rise to numerous viral video challenges, some of which have proven quite dangerous. Here are three of the most controversial recent trends on the platform:
Milk Crate Challenge
The milk crate challenge involved stacking milk crates in a pyramid and attempting to walk up and down both sides without the crates toppling over. The trend spread rapidly in August 2021, resulting in thousands of failed attempts and serious injuries ranging from bruises to concussions. Many health experts condemned the challenge as needlessly risky.1
Skull Breaker Challenge
This dangerous prank first emerged in February 2020 and continued spreading through 2021. It involves two people tricking a third person to jump into the air, then kicking their legs out from under them. The victim falls backwards, often hitting their head on the ground. Doctors warn it can result in serious injuries like concussions, skull fractures, and bleeding in the brain.2
Outlet Challenge
In early 2020, many TikTok users filmed themselves partially inserting pennies into phone chargers while still plugged into outlets. This can cause electrical shorts, fires, and electrocution. Fire departments and electrical safety groups condemned the trend for its potentially lethal consequences.3
The Blackout Challenge
The Blackout Challenge, also known as the Choking Challenge or the Pass-Out Challenge, is a dangerous viral trend that has spread on TikTok where users are encouraged to choke themselves until they pass out (Women’s Health, 2023). Participants restrict oxygen to their brain by holding their breath, choking themselves with belts, bands or other items until they lose consciousness, or hyperventilating before holding their breath.
This extremely hazardous challenge puts participants at serious risk of injury or death from asphyxiation. There have been numerous reports of children and teens being hospitalized or dying after attempting the challenge, as it can easily lead to cardiac arrest or brain damage from lack of oxygen (Business Insider, 2022). Even if someone passes out briefly they can suffer seizures, long-term neurological damage, or memory issues.
Experts strongly warn that restricting oxygen to the brain for any length of time is highly dangerous with potentially fatal consequences. Parents are advised to monitor their children’s social media activity and talk to them about the life-threatening risks of such viral challenges.
Origins and Spread
The dangerous “blackout challenge” did not originate on TikTok. According to an article on Business Insider, this challenge has been around since at least 2008, many years before TikTok existed. It began spreading among young people as a dangerous choking game that could produce a brief high but also lead to serious injury or death.
On TikTok, the blackout challenge began circulating and gaining popularity in late 2021 into early 2022. Videos using the hashtag #blackoutchallenge were racking up millions of views. Though TikTok said it was working to remove videos promoting the challenge, many were still easily found and shared among users.
According to a January 2023 article in Women’s Health Magazine, the blackout challenge “started making the rounds on TikTok again back in 2021, when concerned parents began speaking out about the dangers of the trend.” It spread rapidly among young users on the platform at that time.
Dangers and Consequences
The most serious danger of the blackout challenge is asphyxiation leading to loss of consciousness or even death. Participants intentionally restrict their oxygen supply by choking themselves with belts, ropes, or their bare hands. This cuts off blood flow to the brain and can cause the participant to pass out within just 10 seconds if done forcefully enough.
There have been numerous reports of pre-teens and teenagers dying or suffering severe brain damage as a result of participating in the challenge. In 2021, a 12-year-old boy from Colorado died after participating in the blackout challenge using a rope he found in a closet. Another 12-year-old boy from Oklahoma died the same year after attempting the challenge using his dog’s leash.
Besides death, dangers include seizure, stroke, permanent brain damage from lack of oxygen, injury to the throat and neck, and other serious physical harm. Even if loss of consciousness only lasts for a minute or two, it can still be extremely hazardous.
Medical experts strongly advise parents to monitor their children’s social media activity and warn them of the potentially fatal consequences of participating in such viral online challenges.
TikTok’s Response
In response to the dangerous blackout challenge trend, TikTok has taken measures to try to curb the spread of harmful content. When videos or hashtags associated with the blackout challenge are detected, TikTok removes them from the platform and redirects related searches to the support page for emotional well-being (CITE: https://www.reuters.com/legal/tiktok-immune-lawsuit-over-girls-death-blackout-challenge-judge-2022-10-26/).
TikTok has stated that the blackout challenge predates the platform and did not originate on TikTok, but they are working diligently to remove content that promotes dangerous behavior. They have introduced safeguards like warning labels, restrictions on search, hashtag blocking, and opt-in viewing screens for certain content as part of their efforts. TikTok is also expanding resources to help support the well-being of their community (CITE: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jul/05/tiktok-girls-dead-blackout-challenge).
While acknowledging more work needs to be done, TikTok says they remain vigilant in their commitment to user safety and will continue working to remove harmful content and promote kindness on their platform.
Expert Opinions
Medical and psychology experts have expressed serious concern about the blackout challenge and its dangers for children and teens. According to Dr. Rashmi Agarwal, a pediatrician at the Cleveland Clinic, “the problem is that children participating in [the blackout challenge] likely do not appreciate the seriousness and life-threatening nature of this challenge” (source).
Psychologists note that the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for rational decision making, is not fully developed in adolescents. As Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist in New York, explains, “You don’t have the executive functioning to say ‘this is dangerous and potentially life-threatening'” (source). Teens and children participating in online challenges often do not comprehend the real risks.
According to clinical psychologist John Mayer, the blackout challenge specifically “hits at a very vulnerable time when kids want to test limits” (source). The challenge gives adolescents a misguided method of exploring boundaries. The experts urge parents to have open conversations with kids about online safety and judgment.
Parental Guidance
The most important thing parents can do is have open and honest conversations with their kids about dangerous online trends and challenges. According to a study on the choking game published in Pediatrics (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426904/), parental monitoring and communication were the most effective prevention strategies.
Experts advise that parents talk to their kids in an age-appropriate way about the risks involved in the blackout challenge and explicitly tell them not to participate. It’s important not to scare kids or make the challenge seem “cool,” but to educate them on why it is extremely dangerous.
Parents should also closely monitor their child’s social media use and utilize parental controls on devices and apps when appropriate. Setting time limits, blocking hashtags, and enabling restrictions can help curb excessive or unsupervised internet use.
Additionally, parents can help foster open communication by asking kids what challenges or trends they may have seen online and discussing them together. Maintaining an involved presence and keeping kids engaged in offline activities are also excellent protective measures.
With compassion and care, parents can help kids make smart choices online and avoid perilous viral challenges like the blackout challenge on TikTok.
Conclusion
In summary, social media challenges can seem harmless at first, but often end up having dangerous and even fatal consequences. The blackout challenge on TikTok is one recent example that has resulted in injuries and deaths worldwide. While TikTok has made efforts to intervene, parents and caregivers play a critical role in educating children about making smart decisions online and the potential risks of viral challenges. Open communication, setting limits on app usage, and monitoring content can help keep kids safe. Though the blackout challenge continues to circulate on various platforms, a collective awareness and vigilance by parents, educators, lawmakers, and tech companies is needed to protect adolescents from falling prey to such viral trends.
The internet provides many opportunities for creativity and connection, but also enables risky behavior. As new platforms and challenges emerge, we must learn from past mistakes to foster responsible social media use. With proper safeguards and education, the benefits can outweigh the harms.
