The 'blackout Challenge' Explained - Why Is It So Dangerous?

The 'blackout challenge' explained - why is it so dangerous?

The trend has existed for more than a decade under different names - including the "choking game" and the "pass-out challenge".

LifestyleJacob Rawley04:30, 01 Sep 2022Updated 14:09, 01 Sep 2022The 'blackout challenge' explained - why is it so dangerous?

The "blackout challenge" is a dangerous social media trend that has gained popularity in the last two years.

The deadly online game encourages people to restrict their breath until they fall unconscious. This can cause low levels of oxygen in the brain that can lead to seizures, serious injury or death.

It has existed for more than a decade under different names - including the "choking game" and the "pass-out challenge" - and has since popped up on TikTok.

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Some parents allege that the challenge led to the deaths of their children. One such parent is Hollie Dance, mother of Archie Battersbee, whose son passed away on August 6. The 12-year-old suffered catastrophic brain damage.

There are also lawsuits being filed against TikTok in the US, including two deaths of eight-year-old Lalani Erika Walton from Texas and nine-year-old Arriani Jaileen Arroyo from Wisconsin.

The lawsuits were filed in July by the Social Media Victims Law Center (SMVLC), which is a legal resource for parents of children harmed by social media addiction and abuse.

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The trend predates social media, with a 2008 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finding 82 "probable choking-game deaths" in young people aged between six and 19 from 1995 to 2007.

The study outlined signs that a person could be taking part in the challenge including:

• bloodshot eyes
• marks on the neck
• frequent, severe headaches
• disorientation after spending time alone
• ropes, scarves, and belts tied to bedroom furniture or doorknobs or found knotted on the floor

A TikTok spokesperson said: "We continually strive to create the safest possible environment for our community. Dangerous challenges are not unique to any one platform but we take a number of steps to keep this kind of content off of TikTok.

"We have strict Community Guidelines that make clear content of this nature is strictly prohibited and we proactively remove and block any content or hashtags that promote dangerous challenges, using a combination of technologies and human moderation."

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