A new legal report has sounded the alarm on the most perilous social media trends circulating among young people in the UK, with some challenges resulting in tragic fatalities.
The Alarming Rise of Lethal Online Challenges
The Omega Law Group has identified five particularly dangerous viral trends that have gained traction on platforms like TikTok in recent years. Their investigation reveals that over 100 people have died attempting one challenge alone, highlighting the grave consequences of these online crazes.
Social media challenge videos frequently encourage users to replicate trending stunts they've viewed online and then share their own versions to gain public attention, explained the legal team. However, many of these stunts prove far more hazardous than earlier viral phenomena like the ice-bucket challenge, crossing into seriously risky and sometimes life-threatening territory.
Five Most Dangerous TikTok Trends Detailed
The Blackout Challenge tops the list of concerning trends, having first gone viral in 2022. According to the law firm, this challenge primarily attracted 10-14-year-olds who would intentionally deprive themselves of oxygen to achieve a brief euphoric state through loss of consciousness.
The risks associated with this trend are severe, including bloodshot eyes, severe headaches, damage to neck tissue and blood vessels, brain damage, and in extreme cases, death. The Omega Law Group confirmed that over 100 fatalities have been officially linked to this challenge, though they caution the actual number could be significantly higher.
The Tide Pod Challenge reached peak popularity in 2018 and involved children eating or biting into laundry detergent pods. This dangerous behaviour led to a range of serious injuries including chemical burns, seizures, vomiting, contact dermatitis, poisoning, and vision problems.
Between 2016 and 2020, study data confirms 35,000 emergency room visits by under-18 participants, with 12.5% of these cases requiring hospitalisation.
The Milk Crate Challenge swept social media in 2020, predominantly attracting 15-18-year-olds. Participants would stack milk crates into pyramid formations and attempt to climb them as if ascending stairs.
From 2020-2021, this trend resulted in 8,107 emergency-room treated injuries including concussions, bruises, scrapes, broken bones, and even spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis. Injuries typically occurred from falling off the crates (32%), hitting the crates without falling (23%), or tripping over the crates (12.9%).
The Fire Challenge, most popular among 10-14-year-olds, involved children setting themselves alight after pouring hand sanitiser on their bodies. Multiple participants sustained burns covering 45-50% of their bodies, while others experienced respiratory damage and infections.
The Benadryl Challenge completes the list, having trended on social media in 2023. This horrendous craze encouraged users to swallow dangerous amounts of antihistamine medication, with some participants consuming up to 14 tablets at once.
While participants believed this would induce hallucinations, many experienced severe side effects including heart problems, seizures, and breathing difficulties. This challenge has led to numerous hospitalisations and at least one reported teenage death.
Growing Impact on Healthcare Services
The Omega Law Group highlighted that hospitals have reported significant increases in emergency room visits due to social media stunts in recent years. Pediatric departments have been particularly overwhelmed, with some children's hospitals reporting a 20-30% increase in injuries directly caused by challenge stunt mimicry.
This troubling pattern underscores the urgent need for greater awareness about the potentially fatal consequences of participating in dangerous online trends, especially among young people vulnerable to social media influence.
