The "Blackout Challenge" is a fatal and deadly viral trend on the social media platform TikTok in which kids try to choke themselves with belts or bags until they pass out in search of a "high."
This "choking game" has been around since around 2008 but gained popularity on the social media platform TikTok in 2021 among pre-teens, with more than 20 deaths in the USA alone since its inception among the age group of 10-13 years old.
Parents and authorities around the world are raising awareness after the viral trend was seen in California, the UK, and Italy, with millions of views on the social media platform despite the ban on the videos.
What Is the ‘Blackout Challenge’?
In the Blackout Challenge, people are encouraged to stop the oxygen supply to the brain using their hands, belts, and plastic bags, leading to fainting and the pursuit of temporary euphoria from the lack of oxygen, and finally recording the fainting episode in the name of likes.
Blackout Challenge is also called the "pass-out game," can lead to seizures, brain damage, and death in a matter of minutes, as doctors like Vanderbilt’s Marla Levine have stated. TikTok is actively promoting it among kids despite repeated attempts to ban it.
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Dangers and Recent Tragedies
Asphyxiation is brain starvation, just like drowning. It is permanent brain damage or immediate death if a kid is by himself.
Of the 20 reported deaths since 2022, 15 were kids 12 or under.
A Texas mom spoke out after her daughter died on March 19, and lawsuits in the UK claim that TikTok is responsible for creating a list of "For You" deadly videos. Italian boy Joshua died in 2021 after several attempts, prompted by friends.
Blackout Challenge Awareness Tips for Parents
Blackout Challenge can be fatal for kids, so the parents must take care and spread awareness for this challenge to be banned and out of reach from their kids.
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Talk to your kids about viral trends like the Blackout Challenge without judgment, asking them to tell you what they see online.
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Use actual newspaper headlines to teach kids the dangers of oxygen deprivation in a simple, factual way.
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Monitor kids' "For You" pages on TikTok through family pairing or parental controls.
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Apps like Bark send alerts if kids are exposed to risky keywords or challenges.
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Set screen time limits to limit exposure during unsupervised times.
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Teach your kids to "pause before posting" any daring or peer-plagiarized content.
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Respond to peer pressure calmly, according to CHOC, and create an environment of trust where kids feel free to report threats.
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Flag dangerous videos to be taken down immediately from social media sites.
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The Blackout Challenge exposes social media's dark side, but informed parents save lives. Vigilance turns awareness into action.
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