What is the Milk Crate Challenge?
The milk crate challenge is a viral video trend that gained popularity in August 2021, primarily on the social media platform TikTok. It involves stacking milk crates in a pyramid formation and then attempting to walk up and down both sides of the pyramid without the crates falling over.
The typical milk crate pyramid consists of a 4 or 5 level structure with 6 milk crates per level, totaling around 24-30 crates. The crates are often stacked in a staircase pattern to create two sides that can be ascended and descended. Participants start at one end, climb up, turn around at the top, come back down the other side, then dismount safely at the bottom.
If at any point the crates come crashing down, the participant fails the challenge. The goal is to complete the full up and down journey without falling or having the crates collapse (source: https://junkee.com/milk-crate-challenge-explainer/306622).
When and Where Did it Start?
The milk crate challenge first emerged as a viral trend in online videos in August 2021. Many credit its origins to a TikTok video posted by user @cratechallenge on August 23, 2021, which showed a failed attempt at stacking and walking up a pyramid of milk crates 1. This early video helped inspire numerous copycat videos on both TikTok and other platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. The trend quickly took off, with thousands of videos showing people trying the challenge within the span of a few weeks.
Most sources pinpoint the timeframe of when the milk crate challenge went viral to late August 2021. The epicenter seemed to be the United States, where milk crates are a common household item. The vast majority of early viral attempts took place in the U.S., often showing users from cities like Atlanta, Baltimore, and Memphis.
How Does the Challenge Work?
The milk crate challenge involves stacking milk crates in a pyramid formation to create a staircase. The crates are typically stacked two to five high. The goal is for an individual to ascend one side of the pyramid by stepping up each crate and then descend the other side back down to the ground without the crates collapsing underneath them.
There are no definitive rules, but most attempts follow the same general format. The crates are arranged in rows starting with one crate, then two stacked on top, then three, and so on until it forms a complete pyramid. The person takes the challenge one step at a time, climbing up the one side of the pyramid and then cautiously coming back down the other side. The crates are not secured in any way, so they can easily slide and topple if the person loses their balance or steps on them unevenly.
Successfully completing the challenge requires carefully distributing one’s weight and stepping gently to avoid shifting the crates and falling. However, most attempts end in failure as the crates come cascading down when the person is part way up or down the stacked pyramid. The resulting falls from heights of up to 5 or 6 feet have led to many injuries.
Why Did it Become Popular?
The milk crate challenge went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter in August 2021. Several factors contributed to its sudden popularity:
TikTok’s algorithm tends to promote viral challenges and trends. Once enough users started attempting the challenge and uploading videos, it began spreading rapidly on people’s For You pages. According to Wikipedia, the hashtag #cratechallenge amassed over 180 million views on TikTok in just a few weeks.
The absurdity and danger of stacking milk crates captured people’s attention. Watching someone attempt to climb up and down a tower of wobbling crates created a suspenseful viewing experience. The shock value of people crashing down drew clicks and shares.
It provided exciting content for creators. Popular TikTokers and influencers jumped on the trend to produce milk crate challenge reaction and compilation videos. Their participation further boosted the challenge within the app’s recommendation system.
The competitive nature of it encouraged participation. People tried to outdo each other by building taller and more dangerous towers. Friends and family members would challenge one another to attempt the feat.
Overall, the viral nature of TikTok combined with the challenge’s suspense and absurdity made it spread rapidly online. People’s fascination with dangerous stunts and eagerness to participate in trends fueled its short-lived popularity.
Dangers and Controversies
The Milk Crate Challenge quickly sparked debates over whether it was recklessly dangerous amid numerous videos showing painful falls. According to Houston Methodist, the challenge poses a high risk of injury since falling onto milk crates carries the potential for broken bones, dislocated joints, head trauma, lacerations and chronic pain issues [1]. Videos show many participants fracturing wrists or forearms and dislocating shoulders from attempting to break awkward falls onto the crates. Doctors warned the hard plastic provides little cushioning or shock absorption from a high fall [2].
Some criticized the challenge as recklessly dangerous and likely to result in serious harm, with doctors saying it was “worse than anything we’ve seen on TikTok before” [3]. Many videos showed people losing balance on the stacks and falling hard onto the crates or ground. While some completed the challenge safely, doctors warned participants were putting themselves at major risk of traumatic injuries.
Notable Attempts
Many people have taken part in the challenge, with different results. Some videos went viral for hilarious fails or impressive successes:
One popular attempt was by two brothers who actually completed the challenge by slowly building a giant staircase out of milk crates. Their careful construction paid off as they made it up and down without any crates tumbling. The video has over 20 million views.
Another viral clip shows a young man dressed in a Superman costume trying the challenge. He makes it halfway up before falling backwards in a spectacular crash, earning him the nickname “Superfail.” The video was viewed over 12 million times.
One funny fail shows a man who trips early on, causing all the milk crates to topple over on top of him. He disappears under a pile of plastic as his friends laugh hysterically. Many joked he looked like he was “attacked by milk crates.”
While most attempts end in disaster, some talented individuals can actually complete the challenge successfully by carefully placing each crate and keeping centered. One man even tried jogging up and down the tower of milk crates without any falling. Of course, experts advise against trying the dangerous stunt yourself.
Parodies and Variations
The Milk Crate Challenge inspired many parody videos and alternate versions that poked fun at the trend. For example, Comedy accounts like @EnronChairman created videos showing things like stacks of crates in an office setting and calling it the “original” milk crate challenge. Other popular parodies involved things like gingerbread houses or game characters. Many people created funny reaction videos showing exaggerated responses as they watched milk crate challenge attempts. There were also variations that used objects other than milk crates, like barrels or traffic cones, sometimes called the “crate challenge.” The silly and lighthearted parody videos provided some comic relief amidst the more concerning stunts.
Reactions from Authorities
As the Milk Crate Challenge started going viral online in August 2021, police departments and government officials began warning people not to participate in the dangerous stunt. The challenge was deemed too risky, prompting responses to attempt to stop participation.
For example, in Massachusetts, state officials warned that the challenge could lead to “serious injury” (source). Baltimore’s health department also cautioned that the challenge was unsafe and “life-threatening” (source).
Beyond just warnings, some authorities went further and threatened legal action. In South Carolina, a police spokesperson said anyone blocking traffic or found with stolen milk crates may face legal charges (source).
The authorities’ reactions aimed to curb participation and prevent injuries from the viral challenge.
Decline in Popularity
The milk crate challenge started to fade in popularity towards the end of August 2021, just weeks after it had gone viral. There were a few key reasons for its decline:
First, many people ended up getting injured doing the challenge, with reports of broken bones, sprains, and other serious harm. As injuries mounted, enthusiasm for the dangerous stunt dampened. Authorities and health experts began warning people of the risks.[1]
Second, the novelty of the challenge wore off after the initial viral wave. While risky viral challenges often spike and then fade quickly, the milk crate challenge declined particularly fast due to its simplicity.
Finally, social media platforms like TikTok began removing videos of the challenge due to its encouragement of dangerous activities. This curbed new uploads and diminished its visibility and spread.[2] Without constantly new viral videos, interest in participating dropped.
Legacy and Impact
The milk crate challenge had a relatively short-lived yet significant cultural impact in 2021. Originating from a TikTok trend, the challenge quickly spread on social media and became emblematic of viral internet fads that potentially encourage dangerous behavior. Though participation in the challenge has declined, its lasting influence can be seen in the myriad parodies, discussions, and authorities’ reactions focusing on internet challenges and public safety concerns. Some authorities credit their public advisories against the milk crate challenge to raising awareness of the potential dangers of following viral internet trends uncritically. The challenge also sparked debate about social media companies’ role in curbing harmful challenges on their platforms. While the milk crate challenge itself may fade into internet lore, its brief popularity reveals how internet culture can promote potentially risky behaviors that spread rapidly through social networks. The public discussion in its aftermath highlighted important considerations regarding online challenges, personal responsibility, and the nature of viral fame.
Overall, the dramatic rise and fall of the milk crate challenge demonstrated both the power of social media to popularize novel trends as well as its potential to encourage harmful behaviors. Its legacy persists as an exemplar of internet virality’s double-edged nature when paired with risky physical stunts.
