There’s a new challenge on the Internet practically every month: the Mannequin Challenge, the Ice Bucket Challenge, the Running Man Challenge, etc. The list is endless as it’s easy for trends to gain popularity on Internet. It’s all fun and games — until someone gets hurt. Challenges can easily go from fun to dangerous in a matter of seconds.
Social Trends
Social media trends are a thing in the 21st century and there’s not much that can stop it once it catches momentum. From the Ice Bucket Challenge to the Mannequin Challenge, these trends have the ability to go across the world, but sometimes, trends are a little more dangerous than we think.
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Old, But New
This month, this challenge took the web by storm with this fad. While kids think it’s a cool and “challenging,” this one is actually more harmful than they think. This one has actually been around for a few years, but it has experienced a resurgence.
Salt & Ice
It’s called the “Salt and Ice Challenge.” If you do a quick search on the internet, you’ll be able to find videos dating back to 2012!
How It Works
Simply put, the challenge is this: put salt and ice on your skin and try to endure the pain for as long as possible.
Why Do It?
When kids do the challenge, they film their reaction and upload it to YouTube. The views they get from the video encourages other to do the same in an attempt to either go iral or gain more traction on their YouTube page.
The Harm
Did you know that salt can do harmful things to your body? Beyond high cholesterol and blood pressure, outside the skin, salt can do a great number of damage.
Ice Cold
What does the challenge do to the body, anyway? Well, the ice is cold, but the salt makes it even colder! Without the salt, the ice would be about 32 degrees, with the salt it’s just one degree!
Worse Than Burns
When the pain gets REALLY bad, this is where the harm comes in. Some people who do this to their fullest extent, actually give themselves frostbite! In some extreme cases, it can even inflict more damage than third-degree burns!
They are Burns
Pediatricians urge parents to look for the signs of these challenges as it can be damaging even long-term. “Some of the images you see online are actually burns,” urges pediatricians across the country.
Medically…
“You lose the blood vessels that are in there,” says one pediatrician. Ultimately, this challenge has the potential to turn the skin into leather. “You lost the sensation because of the nerve endings … and you’ll have a bad patch on your arm.”
Risky Behavior
With social media “likes” and the possibility of going viral has become the incentive for young kids to do the challenge, but school officials and doctors think it shouldn’t be done at all. “This ‘craze’ is another clear example of the risks,” said one school adviser.
What To Do
Officials who are well-briefed on the issue want parents and teacher to urge the kids to do other “fun” activities rather than inflict harm on their bodies that will cause long term damage. Showing pictures of the harm can be one way to convince kids that they should NOT be doing this challenge.