• Advertise
  • Contact us
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Inside Reports
Advertisement
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Health
  • Data Report
  • Investigation & Features
  • BBN Update
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Health
  • Data Report
  • Investigation & Features
  • BBN Update
No Result
View All Result
Inside Reports
No Result
View All Result
Home Health

What Is TikTok’s ‘Blackout Challenge’ And Why Is It Dangerous?

August 18, 2022
in Health
0
What Is TikTok's 'Blackout Challenge' And Why Is It Dangerous?

What Is TikTok's 'Blackout Challenge' And Why Is It Dangerous?

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Raddit
  • The “blackout challenge” was one of the most dangerous trends to hit TikTok back in 2021.
  • While it’s not a new concept, the challenge’s resurgence is leading to deaths in young users.
  • Now, TikTok is facing several new lawsuits. Here’s what to know so far:

TikTok is no stranger to dangerous viral trends. From “dry-scooping” and eating pre-workout powder by itself to climbing on tall stacks of milk crates to removing your own IUD (!), and eating massive amounts of frozen honey and corn syrup, the “blackout challenge” is just the latest in a string of activities that can harm users and even lead to death.

The “blackout challenge” has been around since at least 2008, according to People, but it started making the rounds on TikTok again back in 2021. Experts have warned young users not to try the trend, which previously led to more than 80 deaths, per the CDC.

Still, parents are struggling to stay on top of all the challenges that end up on their children’s screens. And many of them are turning to TikTok for answers, including the family of 9-year-old Arriani Arroyo.

Arriani was found dead in February of 2021 after participating in the blackout challenge, and her parents are filing a lawsuit against the social media giant in hopes of keeping other kids safe and avoiding another death, according to the family’s attorney Matthew Bergman, per Wisconsin radio station WTMJ.

And the deaths have continued. This weekend, 12-year-old Archie Battersbee died after spending several months on life support at Royal London Hospital in the United Kingdom. Archie’s mother initially found him unconscious back in April of 2022, and his parents think it highly likely that their son was taking part in the blackout challenge after doctors shared that he was most likely “brain-stem dead,” per BBC.

Read on for all the details behind the deadly challenge and the other lawsuits that TikTok is facing.

What is the ‘Blackout Challenge’?

Also referred to as the “choking challenge” or the “pass-out challenge,” the “blackout challenge” encourages users to hold their breath until they pass out due to a lack of oxygen, People reported.

“What is actually going on in the brain is a lack of oxygen similar to when someone is drowning, choking, or having a cardiac arrest,” Dr. Nick Flynn explained to the Irish Examiner. “If you have low oxygen to the brain for over three minutes you can get brain damage and if you have low oxygen to the brain for over five minutes it can result in death.”

What are signs that someone is trying the ’Blackout Challenge’?

The CDC also released a list of signs that might indicate someone is trying the “blackout challenge,” including:

  • Bloodshot eyes
  • Marks on their neck
  • Severe headaches
  • Feeling disoriented after spending time alone

“Because most parents in the study had not heard of the choking game, we hope to raise awareness of the choking game among parents, health care providers, and educators, so they can recognize warning signs of the activity,” said Robin L. Toblin, Ph.D., M.P.H., according to the CDC. “This is especially important because children themselves may not appreciate the dangers of this activity.”

A TikTok spokesperson told People that “this disturbing ‘challenge,’ which people seem to learn about from sources other than TikTok, long predates our platform and has never been a TikTok trend.”

“We remain vigilant in our commitment to user safety and would immediately remove related content if found,” they added.

TikTok is facing other “blackout”-related lawsuits.

In December, 10-year-old Nylah Anderson choked to death after accidentally hanging herself in her closet, per The Washington Post. When she was found, she was rushed to the hospital. Doctors tried to revive her, but they were too late. A forensic analysis of the young girl’s phone showed that she was using TikTok to watch blackout challenge videos just before she died.

In May 2022, her mother, Tawainna Anderson, sued the popular app for wrongful death in the U.S. District Court in Eastern Pennsylvania, per The Washington Post. Her suit claims that TikTok is “programming children for the sake of corporate profits and promoting addiction,” while being “a predatory and manipulative app” that pushes “exceedingly and unacceptably dangerous challenges.”

In July, lawsuits surrounding the death of Lalani Erika Walton, 8, and Arriani Arroyo, were filed, per Insider. The lawsuits, which claim wrongful death and point to the TikTok challenge, were filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Both children were found hanging, having choked to death after attempting the challenges. (The police had examined Lalani’s phone and tablet and found that she had been watching blackout challenge videos.)

Although TikTok has previously denied that the challenge is affiliated with the platform, since it existed as “the choking game” before the app, the Social Media Victims Law Center’s complaint said that TikTok “unquestionably knew” that the challenge was going viral all over their app and that they “should have known that failing to take immediate and significant action to extinguish the spread of the deadly Blackout Challenge would result in more injuries and deaths, especially among children,” per The Los Angeles Times.

TikTok has blocked #BlackoutChallenge from its search engine, per The Washington Post.

Archie Battersbee was likely the most recent child to fall victim to the challenge.

Although Archie’s family is not suing TikTok, they spent several months battling the European Court of Human Rights to keep Archie on life support.

During their last attempts, Archie’s family reached out to the United Nations to help convince the High Court for an extension. However, the order for his life support to be removed remained, and he passed away Saturday afternoon, per CNN. The court said that the life-sustaining efforts were “futile” at that point, according to The Daily Beast.

While working through the legal system to keep their son alive, Archie’s parents had also requested that he be moved to a hospice center where he could die peacefully. Justice Theis of the High Court denied the family permission, noting that between Archie’s condition and the high level of risk involved, Archie should remain in the hospital until treatment was withdrawn, per BBC.

“I’m the proudest mom in the world. Such a beautiful little boy, and he fought right until the very end,” Archie’s mother, Hollie Dance, told reporters, per CNN.

“There is absolutely nothing dignified about watching a family member or a child suffocate. No family should ever have to go through what we’ve been through it’s barbaric,” added Ella Carter, a family friend who joined Dance at the press briefing following Archie’s death.

Other deaths have stemmed from the challenge.

Unfortunately, Archie, Nylah, Lalani, and Arriani are not the only children to die while attempting this challenge. Four other children aged 14 and under have also died from trying to mimic the videos—all of which are mentioned in Nylah’s lawsuit, per The Washington Post.

In a warning to other parents, Anderson said, “Make sure you check your kids’ phones,” she told ABC Action News. “You never know what you might find on their phones. You wouldn’t think 10-year-olds would try this. They’re trying because they’re kids, and they don’t know better.”

Sabrina is an editorial assistant for Women’s Health. When she’s not writing, you can find her running, training in mixed martial arts, or reading.

Addison Aloian (she/her) is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health. When she’s not writing about all things pop culture, health, beauty, and fashion, she loves hitting leg day at the gym, shopping at Trader Joe’s, and watching whichever hockey game is on TV. Her work has also appeared in Allure, StyleCaster, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, and Modern Luxury Media.

Source link

FREE SUBSCRIPTION

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Tags: TikTok
ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

Deontay Wilder to face Robert Helenius in first fight since loss to Tyson Fury

Next Post

Klipsch’s tiny T10 wireless earbuds arrive as a $2,500 ‘bespoke’ model

Editor

Editor

RelatedNews

Headshot of Philip Ellis
Health

Jeremy Renner Shares Update on Recovery After Snowplow Accident

January 21, 2023
preview for Men's Health US Section - All Sections & Videos
Health

How Former Monk Jay Shetty Manages His Busy Life

January 20, 2023
Why an Acupuncture Mat Is a Game-Changer for Mental Health
Health

Why an Acupuncture Mat Is a Game-Changer for Mental Health

January 20, 2023
preview for Men's Health US Section - All Sections & Videos
Health

Experiment Shows How Working Out Helped Gamers Improve

January 19, 2023
preview for Men's Health US Section - All Sections & Videos
Health

This TikTok Trend Is Claiming To Cure Hangovers

January 18, 2023
Amazon Is Discounting Face Masks By Up To 77% During Winter Sale
Health

Amazon Is Discounting Face Masks By Up To 77% During Winter Sale

January 17, 2023
Next Post
Klipsch’s tiny T10 wireless earbuds arrive as a $2,500 ‘bespoke’ model

Klipsch's tiny T10 wireless earbuds arrive as a $2,500 'bespoke' model

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix reveals she was ‘close to quitting’ before medal success

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix reveals she was 'close to quitting' before medal success

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Video: Controversial Cross Dresser, James Brown's Sex Tape Leaks

Video: Controversial Cross Dresser, James Brown’s Sex Tape Leaks

October 10, 2022
VIEWER DISCRETION: More Videos of Fed Uni Lafia Lecturer Striping and Beating Student Over Sugar Daddy

VIEWER DISCRETION: More Videos of Fed Uni Lafia Lecturer Striping and Beating Student Over Sugar Daddy

October 22, 2022
Wife of celebrity designer Seyi Vodi attacks alleged side chic, strips her naked (Video)

Wife of celebrity designer Seyi Vodi attacks alleged side chic, strips her naked (Video)

October 1, 2022
Update: Why Police Released Six Davido's Workers, Detained Two Arrested Over Ifeanyi's Death

Update: Why Police Released Six, Detained Two Davido’s Workers Arrested Over Ifeanyi’s Death

November 2, 2022
Video: Controversial Cross Dresser, James Brown's Sex Tape Leaks

Video: Controversial Cross Dresser, James Brown’s Sex Tape Leaks

1
Video: Lady weeps bitterly over alleged demise of Davido’s son, Ifeanyi

Video: Lady weeps bitterly over alleged demise of Davido’s son, Ifeanyi

1
Wizkid announces joint tour with Davido

Wizkid announces joint tour with Davido

1

NGX committed to building structures towards SMEs funding

0
Man loses 65-year-old mum days after she was raped by Kaduna hoodlums

Man loses 65-year-old mum days after she was raped by Kaduna hoodlums

February 2, 2023
Shell posts profit of nearly $40 billion and announces $4 billion in buybacks

Shell posts profit of nearly $40 billion and announces $4 billion in buybacks

February 2, 2023
UNIPORT denies approving facility for Atiku’s campaign

UNIPORT denies approving facility for Atiku’s campaign

February 2, 2023
Liverpool 6 points above drop zone

Liverpool 6 points above drop zone

February 2, 2023

Recent News

Man loses 65-year-old mum days after she was raped by Kaduna hoodlums

Man loses 65-year-old mum days after she was raped by Kaduna hoodlums

February 2, 2023
Shell posts profit of nearly $40 billion and announces $4 billion in buybacks

Shell posts profit of nearly $40 billion and announces $4 billion in buybacks

February 2, 2023
UNIPORT denies approving facility for Atiku’s campaign

UNIPORT denies approving facility for Atiku’s campaign

February 2, 2023
Liverpool 6 points above drop zone

Liverpool 6 points above drop zone

February 2, 2023
Inside Reports

Inside Reports is a Nigerian media outlet aiming to advance democracy through disseminating credible news. In the era of fake news and infodemic, Inside Reports is the online media outlet to go to in search of credible, verifiable and factual news.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • AFRICAN NEWS
  • Basketball
  • BBN Update
  • Business
  • Campus gist
  • Celebrity gossip
  • Climate & Environment
  • Crime
  • Crypto
  • Data Report
  • Education
  • English premier league
  • Entertainment
  • Featured
  • Football
  • Foreign
  • Gadget
  • Golf
  • Health
  • Investigation & Features
  • Jobs
  • Laliga
  • Mobile
  • Movies
  • Music
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Sure betting odds
  • Technology
  • Tennis
  • TRENDING VIDEO
  • Uncategorized
  • Video

Recent News

Man loses 65-year-old mum days after she was raped by Kaduna hoodlums

Man loses 65-year-old mum days after she was raped by Kaduna hoodlums

February 2, 2023
Shell posts profit of nearly $40 billion and announces $4 billion in buybacks

Shell posts profit of nearly $40 billion and announces $4 billion in buybacks

February 2, 2023
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

© 2022 Inside Reports - All Rights Reserved .

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sports
    • Football
      • English premier league
      • Laliga
    • Basketball
    • Golf
    • Tennis
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Campus gist
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
    • BBN Update
    • Celebrity gossip
  • Music
  • Video
  • Health
  • Technology
    • Gadget
      • Mobile
  • Investigation & Features
  • Climate & Environment
  • Data Report
  • Jobs
  • Sure betting odds

© 2022 Inside Reports - All Rights Reserved .

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist