Ten Crazy and Dangerous Internet Crazes Of The Last Decade

The crate challenge has left hundreds of people around the globe in hospital with broken bones forcing Tik Tok and other social media platforms to ban videos promoting the challenge. #trending is one thing everyone loves to be associated with but is it really worth it? There are new and trendier internet challenges coming up on the internet every day and social media helps turn them into global crazes in no time. While some challenges are positive and interesting, others are outrightly dumb and they cause more harm than good. Many dangerous challenges die out because of public outcry but others like these 10 just didn’t seem to go away even after the social media companies and authorities tried to shut them down.

The Fire Challenge

You don’t need a degree in public safety to know that setting yourself on fire is a bad idea. The thrill of being on fire for a few moments to gain thousands if not millions of views, likes and praising comments online seems to beat reason all the time though. This challenge started in 2012 but became a craze in 2014 when people posted videos setting themselves on fire after applying flammable substances on their bodies. Although there were no reported deaths, there were hundreds if not thousands of cases of people that ended up in hospital with third- and second-degree burns. The saddest case was that of a 12-year-old boy from Queens, Ney York, who had to stay in the ICU for weeks after taking part in the challenge.

Condom Snorting

This internet fad was widely attempted in 2013 and also made a comeback in 2018. It is as disgusting as it is dangerous because snorting a whole condom up your nostrils can choke you to death and also cause an allergic reaction if you are allergic to latex. People still snort thousands of condoms up their noses and pull them out through their mouths with many coughing uncontrollably while attempting the challenge.

The Cinnamon Challenge

This is another challenge that has not gone away despite warnings to participants about the choking risk it poses. The test of this challenge is to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon without water or any liquid to wash it down for up to 60 seconds. Dry cinnamon is a choking hazard in itself, and a whole spoonful is a lot more dangerous as it coats your mouth causing you to cough, vomit and sneeze. Cinnamon particles can end up in your lungs as well causing one or both of them to collapse which can kill you. The cinnamon challenge is still a popular challenge and people still post videos of themselves gaggling on cinnamon and nominating others to try it.

Neknominate

This challenge caused a public outcry in 2014 that caused authorities to crack down on any groups and hashtags promoting it. It involved people recording themselves gulping a pint of an alcoholic drink, (mostly beer) and then doing something stupid or dangerous while at it and then nominating someone else to do it within 24 hours. Things got out of hand as people started necking stronger alcoholic drinks and pulling off more dangerous stunts such as jumping into a river after gulping a pint of whisky which caused multiple deaths. Neknomination was directly linked to at least 12 deaths worldwide, but it has since faded because of the crackdown.

The Charlie Charlie Challenge

Now to freaky stuff, Charlie Charlie needs a little bit of superstition to play and enjoy because it involves summoning a Mexican demon named Charlie. There are lots of tutorials online for summoning the demon to play, but the most common version involves setting up pencils on a piece of paper in a cross format.
You need to have No and Yes on each side of the cross aligned diagonally before saying the words “Charlie Charlie, are you here?” or whatever you want Charlie to do and if the top pencil swings and aligns with your Yeses, then you better beg Charlie to leave because you may start witnessing paranormal activity in your life. There is no proof of anyone hurt by this one but it is still the freakiest internet challenge of the decade.

Planking

This internet fad wasn’t considered dangerous until after a 20-year-old man in Australia died after falling to his death from a seven-storey building while trying to pull off the perfect plank. It is all about lying flat and motionless with your hands to your side so that you are as flat and still as a plank of wood. The whole thing is fun as people post photos and videos online planking in groups or alone in interesting places.

From people planking on horses to cloth lines, this challenge didn’t have any limits as anyone could try it anywhere. People took it too far by planking in more dangerous places from railway lines to the top of buildings and that is when tragedy struck. Most major cities still have plankers though, but safety is now considered key.

The Kylie Jenner Challenge

Having lips that look exactly like Kylie Jenner’s is a great idea for millions of people around the world which is why this challenge picked up so fast and has lasted for so long. Up until 2018, people were still trying to get fuller lips by sucking into pringle cans, glass bottles and everything that could make lips look bigger and fuller like Kylie Jenner’s.

The whole thing started after the member of the Kardashian family posted a video of her lips filled with a temporary lip filler and told fans that they could get similar results by sucking their lips through glasses or bottles. The challenge left hundreds if not thousands of people with bruised lips with some effects lasting for weeks.

The Salt And Ice Challenge

Ice is cold but when combined with salt, it produces super freezing temperatures that are difficult to withstand. Teens and kids got wind of this challenge from 2014 and joined in with many recording videos and posting online to show off how long they could withstand the burning sensation of salt and ice on their skin. It can cause frostbite and second degree burns if prolonged which is why some contestants had to go to hospitals with deep holes on their skin.

The Chocking Game

An 11-Year-old boy died while trying this challenge in 2016 leading to the crackdown that made the game unpopular but some people still do it. Chocking yourself or someone else is outright dangerous because it can kill them. People still try it because it gives them the natural high that causes them to pass out. The game is only fun if you wake up after a short while though, and as some have discovered over the years, waking up isn’t always guaranteed.

Car Surfing

When your kids are driving or being driven, you are mostly concerned about whether they are properly buckled up or not texting while driving. However, this challenge forced parents to start worrying about whether their children were even in the car in the first place. The challenge requires someone to get onto the roof of a moving car and surf it like you would a wave. Car surfing, even if you don’t up in the ICU is dangerous because you could suffer brain damage from the impact. It is one of the 1000 ways to die that any sane person should avoid.

Please do NOT try any of these challenges and viral trends at home, they really are all dangerous and should never be attempted.