Buzz
Some individuals will go to extreme lengths for a brief moment of fame, and the internet makes it all too simple to embarrass oneself in the pursuit of likes. While some trends, such as the Ice Bucket Challenge, are harmless and even raise money for important causes, others have proven to be incredibly perilous. Some have led to serious injuries, imprisonment, or even fatalities for those reckless enough to take part.
WARNING: The videos featured here may contain disturbing, foolish, or hazardous content. Please use caution, especially around younger viewers or those who might not understand the dangers.
10. The Fire Challenge
The Fire Challenge was a viral internet trend where individuals would douse parts of their bodies with flammable substances and set themselves alight. They were expected to quickly extinguish the flames, but naturally, the challenge resulted in many participants suffering severe burns. One 12-year-old girl was caught in a blaze when the rubbing alcohol she applied to herself went out of control, possibly due to the flammable perfume she was wearing. Beyond the life-threatening injuries this “challenge” caused, it also led to the arrest of a woman for aiding her son in filming his own Fire Challenge, contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
9. The Condom-Snorting Challenge
The Condom-snorting challenge is exactly what it sounds like—snorting a condom that has been stretched through your nose. The goal is for it to travel to the back of your nasal cavity, where it can be pulled out through the mouth. While some YouTubers have done this for laughs, it’s an incredibly dangerous stunt. The nasal cavity is delicate, and both the condom and its potential chemical lubricants can cause serious long-term damage. Worse still, snorting a long, stretchy piece of plastic into your airway can send it into your lungs, which has led to at least one case of a participant requiring surgery and enduring months of illness.
8. The Banana Sprite Challenge
The Banana Sprite Challenge is based on the (completely unfounded) claim that your body cannot digest bananas and Sprite together. According to this dubious theory, since the body can’t process both of these items at once, it will reject them, causing you to vomit. Several YouTube videos (which we do not recommend watching) feature people attempting this challenge and vomiting immediately afterward.
To clarify, the vomiting is likely not caused by the supposed indigestibility of bananas and Sprite together, but rather by the sheer volume of food and drink consumed during the challenge. The task is to eat two bananas quickly and then down a liter of Sprite. Consuming that much so rapidly is more likely to cause vomiting, no matter what combination of foods and drinks are involved.
7. Salt and Ice Challenge
The Salt and Ice Challenge is a dangerous viral trend where individuals, including children, place salt and ice on their skin. This combination creates a chemical reaction that causes frostbite, and the goal of the challenge is to see how long someone can endure the pain. Countless images circulate online showing the severe burns, including second and third-degree injuries, suffered by those who have participated in this hazardous trend.
Sadly, due to the easy accessibility of the ingredients, many young children have ended up in the emergency room with serious burns on their arms after trying the challenge. One child even mentioned they left the salt and ice on for an extended period because it ‘didn’t hurt’ when they burned themselves.
6. Cinnamon Challenge
The Cinnamon Challenge requires participants to consume a tablespoon of cinnamon in just one minute without drinking anything. While it may sound simple, it's extremely difficult—and dangerous, according to medical professionals. The challenge isn't so much about swallowing the cinnamon, a common spice, but rather the fact that attempting to ingest so much cinnamon can trigger a gag reflex, leading to accidental inhalation of cinnamon dust.
Cinnamon dust can be highly damaging to your lungs due to its caustic properties, meaning it has the potential to burn or deteriorate tissue. While it won't harm your stomach, inhaling this corrosive substance into your lungs can lead to serious issues. Additionally, cinnamon’s cellulose structure is non-metabolizable, making it difficult to expel from the lungs. While a single exposure likely won't cause 'cinnamon lung,' it could still trigger an asthma attack, which could be life-threatening for some individuals.
5. Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge
Kylie Jenner, a well-known reality TV figure, is famous for her plump lips. In the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge, some teenagers attempt to temporarily enlarge their lips by placing their mouth inside a container and sucking the air out to create a vacuum. This results in their lips swelling temporarily, giving them the temporary appearance of having larger lips.
Unfortunately, this trend is not just ridiculous in appearance, but also carries risks of pain, damage, and even permanent injury. The swelling can stretch blood vessels, potentially causing the sensitive skin of the lips to tear and bleed. Some individuals who participated in the challenge sucked for such an extended period that medical intervention was required, with stitches needed to repair the damage to their now-inflated lips.
4. Hot Pepper Challenge
Although hot pepper eating contests are fairly common, some YouTubers took it upon themselves to create their own private challenges by attempting to eat some of the hottest peppers known to man. Unfortunately, middle schoolers often follow this trend, eager to test their own pepper-eating skills. One student brought a Carolina Reaper pepper to school and, along with friends, attempted to conquer the challenge during lunch.
Eating extremely hot peppers can lead to serious consequences like vomiting, breathing difficulties, and other health issues. This was exactly what happened to the 30 middle school students who tried the challenge in their cafeteria. The principal had to call emergency services, much like another principal had to do the next day when 40 students added ghost peppers to their lunch.
In another incident at a restaurant, a man ate a burger topped with a ghost pepper and immediately began vomiting uncontrollably. This caused Boerhaave’s syndrome, a tear in his esophagus, which led to a collapsed lung. This condition is life-threatening and resulted in him being hospitalized for nearly a month. (We imagine he didn’t win the restaurant’s challenge.)
3. Blue Whale Challenge
The most disturbing internet ‘challenge’ might be the Blue Whale Challenge. Allegedly created by Philipp Budeikin, who pleaded guilty to masterminding it in 2017, this challenge encouraged participants, whom Budeikin referred to as 'biological waste,' to ultimately take their own lives.
The "Blue Whale Challenge" entailed convincing participants to engage in 50 progressively disturbing self-harming activities, which eventually led to suicide. Those who took part were also instructed to erase any trace of the challenge from their devices before carrying out the final act.
Budeikin was apprehended after one of his participants, nearing the final stages, backed out and alerted the authorities. He faced charges of inciting 16 teenage girls to take their lives, and was convicted on two counts. However, he is believed to be only one of many administrators behind the challenge. Due to the nature of the challenge, it's challenging to confirm the extent to which it is actively happening, as opposed to being just an online rumor. Nevertheless, at least two teenage suicides in the United States are suspected to be linked to it.
2. The Hot Coil Challenge
Thanks to the internet, anyone can create virtually any kind of challenge, regardless of how dangerous or ridiculous it is. A pair of YouTubers invented the Hot Coil Challenge, where they turn on their stove and place their forearm over the glowing red coils, enduring the burn for as long as possible. Predictably, the individual who placed his arm on the coils suffered third-degree burns, which he proudly displayed in a foul-mouthed video.
This challenge was so outlandish that it was restricted on YouTube to viewers over 18. Perhaps due to its clear peril and consequences, the challenge has failed to gain significant popularity among teens seeking to permanently harm themselves. Still, there will always be those willing to do anything for attention, and a few copycats have emerged.
1. The 24 Hour Fort Challenge
The 24 Hour Fort Challenge involves creating a "fort" inside a large store, where participants hide out for 24 hours, evading security, and staying overnight until the store reopens. To those taking part, it seems like an innocent challenge, which is why there are countless videos on YouTube of people attempting it. However, hiding in a store after hours is essentially trespassing, which can lead to criminal charges. Worse, some individuals may risk their future for a few moments of fame on YouTube, while younger children taking the challenge can trigger extensive search efforts when their parents report them missing to the authorities.
