What is TikTok Blackout Challenge; girl dies after taking this challenge

Ground Report | New Delhi: What is TikTok Blackout Challenge; A challenge that precedes social media has seen a resurgence on TikTok and has been the cause of the death of a 10-year-old girl in Pennsylvania, United States.

Called the "Blackout Challenge," the challenge consists of holding your breath until you pass out. According to the New York Post, which follows the case, "millions of visits" have produced this practice "in an attempt to gain viral fame."

Girl dies

According to the outlet, Nyla Anderson, 10, was found unconscious in the bedroom of her home in Chester last Sunday after allegedly attempting to participate in the dangerous challenge. She was rushed to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

"Make sure you check your children's phones," their distraught mother, Tawainna Anderson, told ABC 7 . "You never know what you might find on their phones," she explained, fighting back tears. “You wouldn't think 10-year-olds would try this. They try because they are children and they don't know any better.

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“She was everything. She was a happy girl, ”Anderson's mother said. “This is a pain that does not go away. It's at the top of my throat. I'm so hurt. "Speaking to ABC 7, she said:" You wouldn't think 10-year-olds could try this. They try because they are children and they don't know any better. " 

A TikTok spokesperson told The New York Post that the "disturbing challenge" predates the video platform and has never been a TikTok trend. “We remain vigilant in our commitment to user safety and would immediately remove related content if we find it. Our condolences to the family for their tragic loss, "they added.

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What is TikTok Blackout Challenge

TikTok's "blackout challenge" involves filming yourself holding your breath until you pass out. Need we say more about how dangerous that is?

This is not a new trend; Most of us will recall being challenged to hold our breath every time we went through a tunnel on a school trip. But the problem with this challenge on a platform like TikTok is that it can spread quickly, meaning more children are exposed and could be seriously injured or even killed.

The blackout challenge has been linked to multiple deaths throughout 2021. On December 12, a family in Pennsylvania, USA, was left in distress after their 10-year-old daughter, Nyla Anderson, died after participating in the challenge alone in her room.

Nyla's mother, Tawainna, now urges parents to check their children's phones and monitor what they watch online. Despite taking Nyla to the hospital when she was found unconscious, it was too late. The family does not want anyone else to go through what they have.

TikTok issued a statement earlier this year in response to the deadly challenge, saying, "TikTok has taken the industry's first steps to protect teens and promote age-appropriate experiences, including strong default privacy settings for minors". The platform has also blocked any content with hashtags related to the challenge.

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