A 12-year-old boy from Michigan is left with second-degree burns after attempting the "fire challenge", a stunt seen on social media. This "challenge" is much like any others seen on the internet these days, like the "tide-pod challenge". However, in order for 12-year-old Jason Cleary to complete this one, his friend sprayed him with nail polish remover, which is highly flammable, and then set Jason's body on fire. This is not the first time someone has been seriously injured by this internet challenge; in 2016, a boy had doused himself with rubbing alcohol and set his body on fire; last year, a girl suffered second-and-third-degree burns and spent 2 months in the hospital. Jason's mother, Tabitha Cleary, is warning people on the dangers of what you see on the internet. She says that she "wants everyone to know that these challenges, or whatever [you're] watching on YouTube, is not work risking your life." To learn more, click here.
Why do you believe that young people even attempt these obviously dangerous challenges?
Do you think that challenges like these would exist without the internet? Why?
I believe that young people are very influenced by what they see online. They likely see their favorite influencer attempting insane challenges, like this one, and want to emulate the people they look up to, even though they may not know that what they are seeing is probably fake. I also think that kids can do things like this to try and "prove themselves". They seek attention that they might lack and look for ways to gain some. I believe that challenges like this would not exist if it wasn't for the internet. It acts as a way to share it, and also gives the influencers doing the stunts a platform to create it on.
Replies
Well done Abby!
1.) I think that it is all for attention. I beleive most of these kids don't know what they are getting into. I do think that they know what they are getting into, but I also believe that they are not smart and just do it anyways. I think that parents should start cracking down on this.
2.) No, probably not. I think that a lot of this is to get "popular" on the internet. Just like the tide pod challenge and so on. I think that these ideas are just plain dumb and need to be stopped. If videos like this are posted on youtube, they neeed to be taken down.
Mitchell, I agree that internet platforms should be more aware of the content that is being posted, especially if it promotes dangerous activities or doesn't leave a proper warning for its viewers. I also believe that videos showing dangerous challenges need to be taken down, as they promote the wrong ideas for young audiences.
Because they just want to be like everyone else and try the challenge because maybe their friends do it or etc.. Which causes them to do it as well. I don't think they would becuase people won't be able to get them out there and viral if they don't have anything to post them on.
I think they attempt because these chalanges chanege their mind. No, because without internet one cant reach them
I think they attempt these challenges because they want to be with the trend. Theydon't care about the consequences. I do think they would exist because sometimes we are not very smart and can perform some dumb stunts. When people perform these stunts they can show other people these challenges.
I believe that young people do these challenge for one of two reasons. These reasons are they're either stupid, want to impress someone, or both. I also believe that these challenges would still exist without the internet. However, with that said, they wouldn't be as widely popular as they are today.
Camden, I agree that there can be more than one reason as to why young people do these challenges. I don't know if I would agree that they are stupid, but rather ignorant. Young people tend to not see the negative consequences of their actions. I think that they see someone doing a challenge and getting a lot of attention and want to recreate that.
I think some of the challenges would still exist because the word would still get around to other people. However, the internet helps spread the word about the challenges and it shows videos of people doing the challenges so it makes people want to do them.
I think that young people attempt these dangerous challenges to impress other people, to be cool, or they do it because everyone else does it. Young people probably do these challenges because they haven't had enough real life experiences to know that it is not smart.
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