Tag Archives: social media challenges

From the cinnamon challenge to ‘dragon’s breath’ – here’s what you need to know about social media’s most dangerous trends

From the cinnamon challenge to ‘dragon’s breath’ – here’s what you need to know about social media’s most dangerous trends

Social media challenges can range from bizarre, hilarious to downright dangerous – it seems there’s no limit to what some people will do for likes. Take the “gallon challenge”, for instance. Social media influencers encouraged their followers to consume a gallon (3.78L in the UK) of milk in 60 minutes without vomiting. Maybe this doesn’t […] … learn more→

4 reasons teens take part in social media challenges

4 reasons teens take part in social media challenges

Social media challenges are wide-ranging – both in the stunts they involve and the reasons why people do them. But why do young people take up challenges that pose a threat to health, well-being and, occasionally, their very lives? We are an engineering professor who specializes in understanding how humans interact with computers and a psychology professor with expertise in […] … learn more→

Teenage brains are drawn to popular social media challenges – here’s how parents can get their kids to think twice

Teenage brains are drawn to popular social media challenges – here’s how parents can get their kids to think twice

Viral social media trends started innocently enough. In the early 2010s there was planking, the “Harlem Shake” dance and lip syncing to Carly Rae Jepsen’s summer anthem “Call Me Maybe.” Then came the ice bucket challenge, which raised an estimated US$115 million for ALS research. In recent years, social media challenges have grown more popular – and more dangerous, leading […] … learn more→