The danger of social media challenges strikes again after the demise of a 9-year-old who took part in the ‘Blackout’ Challenge. Her parents decided to take action and sue TikTok, the social media platform that allowed the deadly challenge to spread online.
In this article, you’ll read:
- Parents of ‘Blackout’ Challenge Victim Sue Platform
- What Is the ‘Blackout Challenge’?
- Watching Out for Online Social Media Challenges
Parents of ‘Blackout’ Challenge Victim Sue Platform
In Wisconsin, USA, a 9-year-old girl died after attempting the popular Blackout Challenge on Tiktok. Following the tragedy, her parents decided to sue the platform for allowing the spread of the life-threatening online challenge.
They believe that the well-known company should be held accountable for what happened to their child. Along with this, a family from Texas came together and support the couple as they sue the social media company.
This family from Texas had an 8-yead-old daughter who died for the same reason. On the 26th of February 2021, Arriani Jaileen Arroyo died of asphyxiation after attempting the Blackout Challenge.
Meanwhile, Lalani Walton, an 8-year-old child from Texas, died on the 15tth of July 2021 due to asphyxiation by strangulation. Additionally, the two families came together with the Social Media Victims Law Center. They are filing a lawsuit against Tiktok on behalf of their daughters.
Image Source: iStock
She Was the Daughter of Loving Parents
The girl who died from doing a Tiktok challenge grew up with loving parents. She meant the world to them.
According to her mum, her daughter is intelligent and fashionable at the same time. She also has a heart for dancing and enjoys doing social media trends.
“This is not easy, to wake up every day and know that your little girl is never coming back,” she said.
Her parents remember her as a daughter who loved learning new dances and food challenges on social media. Nowadays, they woefully express how much they miss their daughter’s voice and sweet smile.
The father of the 9-year-old child also added, “We just never thought that there was a darker side to what TikTok allows on its platform.”
They Plan to Raise Awareness of Social Media Dangers
Both the Arroyo and Walton families demand answers from Tiktok. They wanted to speak out in hopes of preventing the same scenario or incident from happening in the future.
The two families plan to work together to raise awareness of the dangers of social media challenges. This stems from their determination to bring justice to their children’s sudden deaths.
“We want to make sure that we can save other kids,” said Mr Arroyo.
On the 30th of June this year, the Social Media Victims Law Center begins with its first step. They filed a lawsuit against Tiktok on behalf of the families.
Multiple children across the globe died last year due to asphyxiation after attempting to do the Blackout Challenge.
Last 2021, a spokesperson from Tiktok released a statement about the challenge, saying, “We remain vigilant in our commitment to user safety and would immediately remove related content if found. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family for their loss.”
Image Source: iStock
What Is the ‘Blackout Challenge’?
There are several dangerous viral trends which started to spark on Tiktok. This includes the infamous Blackout Challenge which took the lives of many TikTok users across the globe.
The challenge first went viral in 2021. It encourages users to hold their breath until they pass out due to a lack of oxygen. Some call it the “Choking Challenge” or the “Pass-out Challenge.”
Experts warn young users, especially children, never to try this trend. According to CDC, they recorded about 80 deaths because of this trend.
Officials stated, “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.”
They also explain that the challenge puts people in danger due to the movements that tend to trigger cardiac arrest. The attack occurs after choking blocks oxygen flow to the brain. This also happens when a person suffers from drowning.
Watching Out for Online Social Media Challenges
Earlier, the parents who filed against the famous platform weren’t the only victims of dangerous online challenges. In the past years, people witness and were able to point out the potential dangers of social media to children.
Indeed, kids are enjoying while using social media apps. Most find it cool to be part of a social media community. On the other hand, some kids experience peer pressure. They may also have friends who want to join and use different social media apps.
Social media applications that do not pose any threats do not exist. Dangers exist as long as you are involved in an online community. It could be the primary reason social media users should be at the right age before becoming involved.
This article has been republished with the permission of theAsianparent Singapore.