Stupid Social Media Trends That Had Disastrous Health Risks

The Hot Water Challenge

Remember when we said, “what goes up must come down?” This is another example of advice teens should take quite seriously. The hot water challenge can be a cool effect to witness, so you should stick to watching YouTube videos about it instead of trying it out yourself. It has to be extremely cold outside, and you need a pot of boiling water. The aim is to throw the hot water into the air; done right, the hot water will instantly freeze and sublimate, turning into steam that rises into the air. But not all of that water is going to freeze, and it’s going to come back down. Right on top of you. Younger kids might find this dare “cool” or “fun”, but may not understand that pouring boiling hot water on someone causes serious irreparable damage and even possibly death. According to the Burn Foundation, hot water (140 degrees F) can cause third degree burns in 5 seconds.

The Bird Box Challenge

The “Bird Box Challenge” was inspired by the movie Bird Box, where Sandra Bullock’s character has to keep a blindfold on to avoid a deadly creature. In reality, there are no such creatures, but it hasn’t stopped some people from trying to navigate their world while wearing a blindfold. One of the dangerous variations of this challenge is attempting to drive while blindfolded, using only GPS to guide them. This is extremely dangerous and irresponsible, as it puts not only yourself but also other people at risk. The GPS can’t tell you if there’s a pedestrian crossing the street or another car in the way, and it can’t tell you if a traffic light is red or green. This challenge should be done indoors, where there is no risk of seriously hurting yourself or others.

The Benadryl Challenge

Benadryl, is one of those over-the-counter meds that everyone has heard of, but it comes with a side effect that nobody wants: drowsiness that makes you want to take a nap. Unfortunately, some teenagers have been taking advantage of this side effect to get a “high” feeling. Let’s be real, who doesn’t want to feel good without having to spend a lot of money or go through the trouble of getting something illegal? The thing is, taking too much Benadryl can be really dangerous. Consuming that much of any medication can have serious adverse reactions on your body. The “high” feeling is short-lived and can seriously impair your breathing and cognitive functions. One teenager even died as a result of an overdose on Benadryl. So, if you’re thinking about trying this trend, just remember: Medication is for healing, not for getting high. Be safe and stay away from dangerous challenges.

The NekNominate Challenge

The name of this challenge can be quite misleading and doesn’t really tell you what it’s about. It’s an Internet craze that involves someone drinking alcohol and having the event recorded. Once they post it online, other people would try to outdo their drinking feats. However, the human body can only deal with a certain amount of alcohol before everything starts to shut down. That’s what happened to a few people who were unfortunate enough not to survive the challenge. Outside of death, drinking that much alcohol in one go can severely strain the liver and kidneys, leading to disease and chronic problems that require hospitalization and treatment for the rest of their lives. What challenge is really worth having to do dialysis three times a week because your kidneys no longer function properly?

Where Do We Find This Stuff? Here Are Our Sources:

How Stuff Works: Cliff Diving

Medline Plus: Benadryl

Skin Cancer Foundation

Forbes Magazine

20 Most Dangerous Social Media Challenges to Avoid | FamilyMinded

10 Disturbing Internet Trends That Caused Fatalities And Injuries – Listverse

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Burn Foundation

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/10941176/What-is-Punch-4-Punch-and-what-comes-next.html

https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Salt-and-ice-challenge-leaves-Iowans-with-severe-burns–504847271.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/07/31/arrests-fines-and-injuries-the-in-my-feelings-challenge-has-gone-global-with-dangerous-results/