{"id":159261,"date":"2022-09-16T09:16:10","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T16:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=159261"},"modified":"2024-07-02T18:51:18","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T01:51:18","slug":"deadly-digital-dares-the-blackout-challenge-on-tiktok","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/deadly-digital-dares-the-blackout-challenge-on-tiktok\/","title":{"rendered":"Deadly Digital Dares: The Blackout Challenge on TikTok"},"content":{"rendered":"

The social network TikTok is chockfull of interesting, fun, laugh-out-loud videos shared by creators worldwide. Kids, as well as parents, can easily spend hours glued to the platform. But as with most popular platforms, the fun can eventually turn dark, even deadly, when viral challenges make their rounds. \u202f<\/span><\/p>\n

The latest viral challenge, the \u201cblackout challenge,\u201d first became popular online in 2008 and made its unfortunate comeback in 2021. Before this second round,\u202f<\/span>the CDC<\/span>\u202f attributed nearly 80 deaths to the dangerous online game.\u202fIn the past month, authorities are attributing the tragic, <\/span>high-profile deaths<\/span><\/a> of Archie Battersbee, 12, and Leon Brown, 14 to the challenge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is it?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The blackout challenge is a choking game that involves intentionally trying to choke oneself or another to obtain a brief euphoric state or \u201chigh.” Death or serious injury can result if strangulation is prolonged. Those doing the challenge do it privately or broadcast their attempt to friends or followers.\u202fThe CDC also found that most deaths occurred when a child engaged in the choking game alone and that most parents were unaware of the game before their child\u2019s death.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s the appeal?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s easy to look at a challenge like this and dismiss it thinking your child would never be involved in such a dangerous game. However, in a recent post from\u202f<\/span>HealthyChildren.org<\/span><\/a> on why kids participate in online dares, pediatricians point to the reality that the teen brain is still developing. The part of the brain that processes rational thought, the prefrontal cortex, is not fully developed until a person\u2019s mid-20s. This physiological reality means teens are naturally impulsive and can do things without stopping to consider the consequences.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another lure that entices teens is that social media\u2019s fast-moving, impulsive environment rewards outrageous behavior\u2014the more outrageous the content, the bigger the bragging rights. The fear of losing out (FOMO is natural for teens.\u202f<\/span><\/p>\n

Signs to look for<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

According to the CDC, signs that a child may be engaging in the blackout challenge include:\u202f<\/span><\/p>\n