Top 5 Social Media Trends That Kids Shouldn't Try at Home

Social media has made many positive changes in our society, but is it completely safe for the kids? This question remains unanswered in every debate on social media. Although our kids and teens are seen to be enjoying the use of social media and they have made it a necessary part of their life, but it doesn’t mean that it is necessarily a good thing. Social media might be beneficial in some cases, but when it is used without monitoring and guidance especially by the younger kids, you can expect the dangers to swoop in.

If you are concerned about what could hurt your kids on social media, the list never ends. The point is that kids are vulnerable and emotional, and they tend to do everything others are doing on social media to look cool and smart. Social media trends and challenges are just an example of how far the impact of social media on the kids can go. No matter how stupid and dangerous these trends are, you will see the kids trying them to get appreciation from other people on social media.

Social Media Trends and Teens

Social media trends have a clear target; teens. Why? It is because teens have this tendency of doing everything that seems cool and that is the trend on social media. They join social media so that they can look cool and connect with other kids who are cool and have a better life.

Social media trends make their place in this mindset and kids try hard to do everything that is being said there, and that includes following stupid social media challenges. But, if you educate them to use social media smartly, the negative things might not happen.

For adults, it might seem like stupid and nonsense to do these sorts of things, but for teens, trying on these dangerous things means a bigger result. They don’t just want to enjoy, they want to be approved, appreciated, and befriended by the cool people there, and they think participating in such challenges will make them achieve all these things. However, certain challenges are very dangerous to try and parents should protect their kids through monitoring.

Social Media Trends That Are Dangerous

Social media issues can be devastating and so are social media trends. Here are some of the social media trends and challenges that are very dangerous to try at home and have made serious damage as well.

1.The Ice Cream Challenge

This trend wants people to be filmed on social media while they open an ice cream carton, lick the ice cream, and put it back as if it is new. It was done by a woman who completed this challenge and filmed her for social media, but she was tracked down and now she is facing food tampering charges. Although the challenge is not cool or interesting at all, still teens find it very amusing.

2.The Boiling Water Challenge

As it sounds, the boiling water challenge includes yourself being filmed while someone dumps a bucket of boiling water on you. It is not safe or amusing at all. It has been practiced by many kids, teens, and even adults, and many of them have suffered from serious burns. The saddest thing is that the youngest person who was admitted to the hospital because of following the challenge was 3-years-old.

3.The Duct Tape Challenge

It is about taping yourself with duct tape and then trying to get out of it. Many kids have tried alone and with their friends, and there have been consequences. A 14-year-old kid ended up in the hospital with an eye injury and brain aneurysm because he ducked taped himself while he was standing, and fell on the window. They are still not sure when he will get his eye-sight back or if he ever will.

4.The Bird Box Challenge

As the name says, this challenge was inspired by Sandra Bullock’s movie ‘Bird Box’. It started with memes and then it was taken to another level where people made videos themselves doing everyday chores with their eyes covered. There were some serious consequences such as a 16-year-old almost took her and her friend’s life when she put the hat in front of the eyes while driving and hit the light pole and sound barrier.

5.The Fire Challenge

It involves people throwing accelerants, like nail polish remover, on their bodies and putting themselves to fire. It is believed that the fire can be controlled as it is only burning the accelerant not the body. Unfortunately, a 12-year-old went through second and third-degree burns to her body when she tried to attempt the challenge.

These are only a few of the extremely dangerous challenges. Every challenge that is being followed on social media is unethical and dangerous to an extent and kids shouldn’t be encouraged to follow them.

Tips for Parents

As a parent, you might be surprised and devastated to know what type of world your kids are enjoying, but you can balance it all. You can’t take away their cell phones because that will push them away but what you can do is to make certain arrangements to make sure they are safe.

• You need to be on these social media platforms and see what is the trend these days. Follow-up with your kids, talk to them in the light mode about social media and have their views. You will have plenty of information about what they are thinking about these trends and you can even share your opinions with them as well.
• Monitor them. Monitoring gives you first-hand information about what your kids are up to. You won’t have to sneak in their smartphones, you can monitor their social media activities and know them all through your phone with the help of a good monitoring app like  Mobistealth gives you the confidence to know what they are up to and when you should intervene if they are doing something dangerous.

Social media trends are idiotic and dangerous, but teens don’t understand this. Parents need to be very cool and calm about this situation and talk to their kids in the best friendly manner possible.