Skull breaker, one chip, black out challenges: most dangerous social media challenges

In the most extreme cases, children as young as eight have been filmed participating in dangerous challenges that involve choking, overdosing and reckless driving.

It has prompted some social media giants to provide homepage warnings whenever a user searches for a dangerous challenge.

This challenge predates TikTok, with at least 82 deaths confirmed as a result of the challenge in 2008.

According to America's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by 2023 at least 22 children aged between 8 and 14, had died by starving themselves of oxygen as part of the black out challenge.

Also referred to as 'the choking game' or 'pass out challenge', the trend reached notoriety in 2022 when the parents of nine-year-old Arriani Arroyo sued TikTok for their child's death.

The Wisconsin child died by self-strangulation after participating in the trend with her five-year-old brother.

"This is not easy, to wake up every day and know that your little girl is never coming back," Arriani's mother Christal Arroyo Roman told Good Morning America in 2022.

"We just never thought that there was a darker side to what TikTok allows on its platform."

The social media giant argued against culpability saying the trend pre-dates the platform.

It has now added a LifeLine warning to its homepage when the 'blackout challenge' or related terms are searched.

The death of 14-year-old Harris Wolobah from Massachusetts in September 2023 forced the immediate removal of Pacqui chips from stores around the world.

In this challenge, participants are encouraged to eat a large tortilla chip covered with Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers - some of the spiciest chillies in existence without reaching for the milk, water, ice or other coolants for as long as they can.

In even less extreme cases, the chip challenge has caused numerous hospitalisations as well as uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhoea.

Many participants to the challenge have documented feeling the efforts of bodily shock for hours or even days afterwards.

Harris Wolobah's family blame his sudden death on the trend. He had reported stomach aches at school after consuming the spicy chip and was later found unresponsive at his home in Worcester. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

In a statement, Pacqui's parent company, The Hershey Company said it was "deeply saddened by the death" of the 14-year-old.

It said the warnings on the chip's coffin-shaped box clearly say the challenge is only to be attempted by those over the age of 18, but in light of the situation, it would be recalling its chips from stores around the US to avoid any further injury.

"We have seen an increase in teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings. As a result, while the product continues to adhere to food safety standards, out of abundance of caution, we are actively working with retailers to remove the product from shelves," the company said in a statement.

One of the most dangerous challenges to be seen on social media platforms is the Benadryl platform.

It encourages participants to consume many antihistamine tablets in order to induce hallucinations. It has resulted in several hospitalisations and at least one death.

In April 2023, Jacob Stevens, a 13-year-old from Ohio, was filmed consuming more than a dozen Benadryl tablets. He died in hospital six days later.

This stunt first appeared online in Spain during 2020 and by 2021 it had claimed the lives of two people in Brazil.

In 2020, two New Jersey students faced serious criminal charges after the stunt went horribly wrong.

In this challenge, three people stand side by side and jump. While in the air, the two on either side kick the legs out from under the person in the middle, causing them to fall.

The 'skull breaker' name refers to the horrendous sound a victim's head makes when it hits the ground. It has led to injuries including broken bones and brain damage.

Kathleen DeJesus was 13 years old in 2020 when she became a victim of the challenge in Lawrence, Massachusetts

"I was paralysed, I fell, I had a concussion, I was numb, I couldn't feel my legs or my foot, or my hands, nothing," the teenager told Click On Detroit.

In response to the dangerous challenge, TikTok released a statement in 2021 saying it would be working to remove these kinds of videos from its platform.

"We do not allow content that encourages or replicates dangerous challenges that might lead to injury," the platform's statement reads.

"In fact, it's a violation of our community guidelines and we will continue to remove this type of content from our platform. Nobody wants their friends or family to get hurt filming a video or trying a stunt.

"It's not funny - and since we remove that sort of content, it certainly won't make you TikTok famous."

If you or someone you know needs help, contact

Lifeline - 13 11 14

Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467

Kids Helpline - 1800 55 1800

MensLine Australia - 1300 78 99 78