TikTok has become an extremely popular social media platform, especially among teenagers and young adults. On TikTok, viral challenges often spread rapidly as users create videos imitating challenges posted by other users. While many of these challenges are harmless, some can be extremely dangerous or even life-threatening. Tragically, a number of injuries and deaths have resulted from dangerous TikTok challenges gone wrong.
Some of the most concerning challenges encourage risky behavior like choking, taking excessive doses of medication, or setting oneself on fire. Even challenges that seem harmless at first can lead to severe unintended consequences. Parents, educators, and teenagers themselves need to be aware of the potential risks associated with viral TikTok challenges. This article will examine some of the most dangerous TikTok challenges that have led to injuries and deaths in recent years.
The Skull Breaker Challenge
The Skull Breaker Challenge involves three people standing next to each other, with the unsuspecting person in the middle. The two people on the outside jump in the air while the middle person jumps straight up. When the middle person is in the air, the people on the outside kick their legs out from under them, causing them to fall straight back and land hard on the ground (1).
This challenge became popular on TikTok in early 2020 and quickly resulted in serious injuries. The force of falling straight back without breaking the fall can cause head injuries, concussions, fractured skulls, and other trauma (2). Schools and authorities warned students not to participate in this dangerous challenge after numerous videos circulated on social media showing students getting hurt.
Two juveniles in New Jersey were charged with third-degree aggravated assault and third-degree endangering an injured victim after a middle school student suffered a concussion from the Skull Breaker Challenge (1). The challenge was deemed reckless, dangerous, and resulting in foreseeable injury.
Sources:
(1) https://abc7.com/skull-breaker-challenge-tiktok-concussion-what-is-the/5985364/
(2) https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51742854
The Penny Challenge
The Penny Challenge became popular on TikTok in 2020 and involves plugging a phone charger halfway into an outlet, then sliding a penny down the wall onto the exposed prongs. Many teens were attempting it to create sparks for social media videos. However, the practice poses a major risk of electrocution. As one report explained, “the coin can act as a conductor for the electricity and electrocute anyone touching it.” When electricity encounters the human body, it can result in severe injury or death. Numerous safety officials warned about the dangers of the viral challenge. While no confirmed deaths have been directly linked to the TikTok Penny Challenge, it clearly presents a hazardous scenario that should be avoided.
The Blackout Challenge
The Blackout Challenge, also sometimes called the Choking Game or Pass-Out Challenge, is a dangerous trend that gained popularity on TikTok starting in 2020. The challenge encourages participants to choke themselves until they pass out. According to an article by The Independent, the challenge has been linked to the deaths of at least 20 children in the past 18 months.
The Blackout Challenge works by having participants choke themselves, often by wrapping belts, ropes, or other items around their neck, until blood flow to the brain is blocked and they lose consciousness. The aim is to achieve a brief high, or euphoric feeling, from the lack of oxygen. However, this can easily lead to brain damage or death if taken too far. When someone loses consciousness, their body becomes limp and no longer fights against the choking. This allows it to continue well past the point of safety.
Health experts strongly advise against participating in the Blackout Challenge due to the high risk of long-term brain damage or death. Accidental deaths and suicides have occurred from youth attempting the challenge alone in their bedrooms. Parents are encouraged to monitor their children’s social media use and talk about the dangers of such viral video challenges.
The Fire Challenge
The Fire Challenge gained popularity on social media around 2014-2015, though similar stunts have circulated before then. For the challenge, participants pour rubbing alcohol or another flammable liquid onto their body and then set themselves on fire. While sometimes done with supervision, many attempters get severely burned from partaking in the challenge alone.
According to a 2016 case report published in the Journal of Burn Care & Research (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26862698/), a 17-year-old male suffered second- and third-degree burns over 50% of his body from the fire challenge. Authors note the stunt often results in serious burns requiring hospitalization.
In 2022, 12-year-old Nick Howell from Kentucky suffered burns on over 35% of his body after attempting the challenge (https://people.com/human-interest/12-year-old-boy-who-burned-35-percent-of-body-in-tiktok-fire-challenge-tells-kids-not-to-be-a-follower/). He warned other kids not to give in to peer pressure and partake in dangerous viral challenges.
The Salt and Ice Challenge
The salt and ice challenge involves pouring salt on a person’s skin and then applying pressure with an ice cube or ice pack, typically on the back, arm, or leg [1]. The salt and ice challenge can cause severe frostbite burns quickly, within seconds or minutes, due to the extremely cold temperature created by ice against salt on the skin [2]. The burn results in damage similar to a second or third degree burn, damaging the nerves and skin cells. The salt helps the ice achieve temperatures below freezing faster than ice alone, causing more rapid damage. This often leaves permanent scarring and even nerve damage.
The Tide Pod Challenge
The Tide Pod Challenge first emerged in late 2017 and involved individuals biting into brightly colored laundry detergent pods, specifically Tide Pods. Detergent pods contain highly concentrated cleaning chemicals that can cause serious harm if ingested. As the challenge spread on social media, poison control centers began reporting a spike in calls related to intentional laundry detergent pod ingestion, especially among teenagers and young adults.
According to data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), there were over 12,000 laundry detergent pod ingestions reported to poison control centers in 2017, up from less than 7,000 cases in 2016 (The Washington Post). Tide partnered with New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski to create an educational video advising people not to eat the pods.
Ingesting laundry detergent pods can cause serious health effects like difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, throat swelling, and chemical burns to the esophagus. According to the National Capital Poison Center, biting into a pod may only expose the mouth to small amounts of the toxic chemicals, but popping a pod and swallowing or aspirating the liquid soap inside is far more dangerous (National Capital Poison Center). Treatment often requires urgent medical care to protect the airway and provide oxygen and IV fluids.
The Cinnamon Challenge
The cinnamon challenge went viral online in the early 2010s. It involved people attempting to swallow a spoonful of ground cinnamon in under 60 seconds without drinking anything. The challenge gained popularity on YouTube, with thousands of people filming themselves coughing, choking, and gagging as they tried to complete it.
The cinnamon challenge poses a serious choking hazard. Cinnamon is a caustic powder that rapidly absorbs saliva and dries out the mouth and throat when ingested in large amounts. This makes it extremely difficult to swallow and can trigger coughing, gagging, vomiting, and inhaling of cinnamon powder. There have been cases of people requiring medical intervention after cinnamon became lodged in their throat or lungs.
In some rare instances, the cinnamon challenge has resulted in death due to asphyxiation. In 2011, a 4-year-old boy died after choking on cinnamon during the challenge. According to an article by Vice, at least two people have died and dozens have required medical treatment due to complications from attempting the cinnamon challenge.
Medical experts strongly advise against participating in the cinnamon challenge due to the risk of choking, throat and lung irritation, breathing difficulties, and other injuries. While many may see it as harmless fun, the challenge carries potentially life-threatening consequences.
Preventing Dangerous Challenges
Dangerous viral challenges that encourage risky behavior have become increasingly common on social media platforms like TikTok. While many are harmless, some can lead to injury or even death. There are steps that parents, educators, and platforms can take to prevent tragic outcomes.
Parents should closely monitor their children’s social media activity and have open conversations about online challenges and peer pressure. Set clear guidelines about what challenges are off-limits. Emphasize that likes and views are not worth risking safety. Teach kids to think critically about viral trends and report any dangerous challenges.
Schools can educate students about social media literacy and the risks of dangerous viral challenges. Teachers can also monitor concerning trends and notify parents. Counselors can discuss peer pressure, impulsive behavior, and decision-making skills.
Platforms like TikTok have a responsibility to moderate dangerous content. They should remove videos promoting risky challenges and ban hashtags associated with them. Features allowing users to report dangerous challenges can also help. Platforms could also push educational pop-ups warning about the risks.
With vigilance from parents, schools, and platforms, the spread of hazardous viral challenges can be limited. Open communication and education are key to helping kids make safe choices online.
Conclusion
In summary, a number of dangerous viral video challenges have led to severe injuries and deaths over the years. While the Skull Breaker Challenge, Penny Challenge, Blackout Challenge, Fire Challenge, Salt and Ice Challenge, Tide Pod Challenge, and Cinnamon Challenge may seem harmless at first, they often involve risky behavior that can have tragic consequences. These challenges tend to gain popularity rapidly on social media, urging participants to outdo one another while failing to consider the dangers involved. As we have seen, challenges like the Blackout Challenge have directly resulted in numerous deaths, especially among teenagers looking to gain social media fame and notoriety. It is critical that we work together to recognize these dangerous trends as soon as they emerge, speaking out against them and warning others, so that we can prevent further loss of life. By taking active steps to stop the spread of harmful challenges before they go viral, we can help foster a culture of safety and responsibility online.
