A nine year old boy from Trinidad and Tobago has died after apparently attempting the TikTok Blackout Challenge. An article from LoopTT.com indicated that just before 6pm on January 25th, the child was found at his Maloney Gardens home with a belt tied around his neck.
This is not the first fatal incident associated with this challenge as a 10 year old Italian girl also died earlier this week while attempting the challenge.
What is the Blackout Challenge?
The Blackout Challenge encourages people to try and pass out for as long as possible by restricting their airflow. The Blackout Challenge, which is also known by other names such as the Choking Game or the Fainting Game, did not originate on TikTok and has been around for years. The challenge was a trend on Snapchat and Instagram in 2014.
Another version of the challenge — called the Pass Out challenge — encourages people to shake their heads until they pass out.
Reports indicate that the some of those participating in the challenge would tied a belt, rope, sock or bed sheet around their neck to pass out,
Persons taken part in the challenge repeatedly, trying to better their last attempt, of not breathing for as long as possible.
How to report the Blackout Challenge?
If you see anybody promoting the Blackout Challenge on TikTok or any other social media platforms, please report the content immediately.
To report the Blackout Challenge on TikTok:
- Click on the white arrow on the right-hand side of the video.
- Press the icon that says ‘report’ with a flag symbol.
- Select ‘suicide, self-harm and dangerous acts’.
Information for students
- Do not attempt the Blackout Challenge
- Do not bully anyone into doing the challenge
- Report this challenge if you see it being promoted, either from within the app e.g TikTok, SnapChat etc. or report it to an adult
- If any of your friends are attempting this, please do not encourage, and report it to an adult immediately
Information for parents & guardians
- Talk to your kids about this challenge and warn them of the dangers
- This can be manifested in the form of Cyber Bullying where one child forces another to do the challenge.
- As with many social media apps, there is a minimum age requirement for use, for TikTok it is 13 years. If your child is underage and using the app, understand now, why some content may be deemed inappropriate for a younger audience.
- TikTok like many other apps, were not meant to promote this type of content. It is not the app that is the problem, it is the content. Talk to your kids about deciphering right from wrong.
- Share this information with as many parents & guardians you know.
