The viral challenges have become part of everyday dynamics of some social networks, including TikTok. One of the most popular, in recent weeks, is the blackout challenge , an extremely dangerous challenge that could even put the life of the person who performs it at risk. To meet this challenge, people place an object around their neck, in order to avoid breathing .
Once breathing is blocked, the goal is to pass out due to lack of air. In the United States, the blackout challenge was the cause of the death, due to brain death , of a 12-year-old boy . The little boy was found unconscious in the bathroom of his house by his twin brother, on March 22, 2021. At the end of January 2021, in Italy, another girl died of suffocation after placing a bathrobe belt around her neck. She was discovered by her five-year-old sister in the bathroom at her home.
According to Gaptain, an EdTech that seeks to protect minors from the risks of social networks, there is no risk on the internet with more negative impact on children than viral challenges . It also notes that online challenges for teens have the appearance of simple games between friends, but sometimes turn into situations that cause serious injury and even death.
Experts agree that the social impact that these challenges are causing on social networks, alone, justifythe need for greater accompaniment of fathers and mothers in the digital life of their children.