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Taking up online challenges is becoming increasingly common these days. These stunts may look silly or harmless, but it takes no time for a 15-minute silly fame stunt to turn into a dangerous and fatal disaster. It has been happening before the widespread usage of the Internet started.
Earlier, even we wished to try things that other people are doing. It may be chanting “Bloody Mary” in front of the mirror. Now, today’s kids feel like doing what they see on the Internet as a viral challenge. So, here are seven such online challenges that are downright dangerous for your kids, irrespective of their appearance.
Cha-Cha Slide Challenge
It is a new and potentially harmful challenge on TikTok. In this challenge, drivers drive while playing the song ‘Cha-Cha Slide’ by rapper Casper, which was released twenty years ago. The famous lyrics of the song include “slide to the left, slide to the right.” Drivers say these lines while they sing the lyrics. The challenge is dangerous, it results in rash and reckless driving, and it has even led to cars almost flipping over.
Skull-Breaker Challenge
It sounds pretty injury-inducing from its name itself. The challenge went viral on TikTok, and there need to be three volunteers for it. So, the skull-breaker challenge begins with two boys standing on either side of the third boy. The third person has no idea about what is going to happen.
So, three boys are standing next to each other, and all of them have to jump. But, only the person in the center jumps. He thinks that the other two will also jump, but they don’t. Instead, they kick inwards to trip the boy jumping, knocking his feet forward. So, he falls back and painfully hits the ground, headfirst. It is a challenge that is 100% harmful to the person who volunteers to be in the middle.
Penny Challenge
You might have heard about this challenge, where children record what happens when they put a penny between an outlet and a charger. It is not only downright dangerous, but it can fatally hurt those who try the challenge, and it can also result in death. It generates sparks of electricity that can kill a person. It is not fun, and if you see your child doing anything like it, you should tell them to never engage in such things because they can have a lifelong impact.
Fire Challenge
It brings up a straightforward yet awkward question: why do children need to put themselves on fire. It might be a prank, but it doesn’t seem like one. In the challenge, the volunteer needs to soak their body in a combustible liquid like alcohol and light it while recording the whole scene. The challenge went viral in 2014. Even back then, those who tried it suffered from severe burns. The fire challenge again came to the surface within the last two years.
Choking challenge
It started in 2009, but it resurfaced in a very shocking way in 2018. The choking challenge led to the death of a 5th-grade student. Another case was in 2019 when a teenager was brain-dead upon his arrival at the hospital due to the challenge. The teen was found unresponsive in his room after trying the choking challenge. It is a foolish challenge where the participants have to choke themselves till they lose consciousness.
Eye Bleach Challenge
The challenge became viral in 2019 on TikTok. In the Eye Bleach Challenge, kids bleach their eyes to give their eyes a light color. The odd part is that children hold the bleach disturbingly close to their naked eyes. In contrast, the originator of the eye bleach challenge wore contact lenses. So, the change in the eye color of the originator was a transparent lie. Not only does trying it cause chemical burns, but it can also result in a permanent ocular injury.
Salt and Ice Challenge
In the salt and ice challenge, the volunteer has to pour salt on their arm and place the ice on it. Then, they have to tolerate the burn that feels like frostbite for a substantially long time. It left many children with burns when it started in 2014. It has resurfaced, and there have been reports of kids facing second-degree burns again.
Tide Pod Challenge
The challenge came up in 2018, and it led to many teenagers risking their lives. In the challenge, the participants have to film themselves while trying to eat a Tide Laundry Detergent Pod. Once they record it, they can pass the challenge to someone else. They have to keep biting it until the detergent oozes out of the pod. Then they need to spit it out immediately.
Use Parental Control Tools to Keep Your Kids Safe
Using parental control tools like Avosmart help make sure that your child stays away from such challenges on apps. Avosmart has many features that will help you keep them safe. It will provide you with helpful insights and even let you block the sites and apps that have unsuitable content on them. Although using a parental control tool eliminates most of the dangers, it is not all.
You also should educate your kids about the impacts of these social media challenges. Such challenges are just small-time stunts that give temporary fame, which is not even genuine. These stunts don’t make somebody famous because of talent. They only make a person viral because they performed a horrific stunt, and it is not the ideal way for kids to achieve fame.