Hitting puberty, teens often rebel against parents, and with peer pressure, they often prove themselves by trying dangerous TikTok challenges.
Therefore, parents need to be wary of the worst TikTok trends of 2021 that children risk their lives to. Below are 10 foolish challenges that can have a lifelong effect on a child’s life.
If you consider that TikTok is detrimental to kids, we recommend you use CyberPurify Egg – a device that allows you to block TikTok’s notifications when it’s learning time. Also, it protects your kids from all porn sites, for all internet-connected devices.
The worst TikTok trends of 2021 – Updated 2022
Nasal Spray Tans
To achieve a bronzy glow, people will have to inhale a tan spray containing a hormone called melatonan, which is not FDA-regulated.
Source: @MC via TikTok
It purportedly darkens skin pigmentation by increasing the production of melatonin. However, no scientific research has been done to prove that it works and it is safe.
Meanwhile, many dermatologists have warned about the side effects of this spray-tan method, including nausea, increased blood pressure, dizziness and vomiting.
Rotoscope Filter
In the animation industry, Rotoscoping (or “roto”) means tracking keyframes by hand or computer to reproduce the subject’s natural movement.
The filter applies the same technique to turn users into colorful silhouettes, which is supposed to be fun and harmless until someone uses it to implicitly display their genitals.
Source: @Mason Pamela via TikTok
They do that by simply disrobing right after the filter is on, then moving around until their private parts are exposed. People have turned the innocuous trend into a dirty challenge.
Source: @remiohd via TikTok
Although we can not see their bodies, the original video in which they are fully naked is stored in the data caches of our devices.
It is a dangerous new TikTok challenge as perpetrators can track that footage, and use it for sextortion, which will have devastating effects on underage users.
Orbeez Challenge
Orbeez balls are polymer beads that expand when soaked in water. They are children’s favorite toys thanks to their versatile use and vivid colors.
Now, they are used to attack people. In the challenge, TikTokers will use a gel blaster gun to shoot Orbeez pallets at unsuspecting passersby and film their reactions.
For the record, it hurts.
Source: wsbtv.com
Florida police shared on Facebook that a 19-year-old in Deltona was arrested for shooting at an Amazon courier, hitting his glasses and neck while he was driving.
Meanwhile, in Huntington Beach, participants will face felony criminal charges and civil litigation if they cause any injury or damage to private property.
One of the worst TikTok trends of 2021: Dry Scooping
This dangerous new TikTok challenge is actually a pre-workout trend, in which people will consume a scoop of powder supplements without mixing them with water.
This means the powder will go straight to your lungs and cause aspiration pneumonia. It usually happens to people who have been inhaling flour particles for a long time.
A more immediate effect is suffocating. One TikToker said that after a sip of water, the dry substance transformed into a glob and got stuck in the throat.
Source: @vlogmamadventures via TikTok
It’s clearly one of the worst TikTok trends of 2021, but to teenagers’ ears, it sounds like a provocative dare.
Morning After Pills
The morning-after pill is a contraceptive pill you can take after unprotected sex to prevent getting pregnant.
The problem is that the trend sees teens eating the tablet inside Clearblue pregnancy tests, claiming it is a ‘Plan B’ pill.
Source: Alyssa beebe via TikTok
However, Clearblue has confirmed the “pill” is just an absorbing tab, which is meant to absorb your pee to deliver the test result. Yuck!
Methylene Blue Trend
Wellness influencers are encouraging folks to consume methylene blue, which is believed to have anti-aging properties, with the hope to boost metabolism, and cognitive functions and even treat COVID-19.
Source: Jordan Hasay via Facebook
This chemical compound is usually used as a fish tank cleaner and in science labs. Of course, there has been no scientific experiment showing that it is beneficial for humans.
Doctor Jon made a TikTok video to debunk this myth, saying:
“Methylene blue is not harmless, it can cause destruction of red blood cells”.
Doctor Sara Pugh also warned that: “It’s going to prevent the breakdown of serotonin and adrenaline in the brain & other parts of the body […] Too much serotonin can cause Serotonin Syndrome which can be dangerous and very unpleasant.”
Fake tongue piercings – The worst TikTok trends of 2021
This TikTok craze involves placing two magnets on both sides of your tongue to make them look like real piercings. Similarly, put these magnets on the ears, and voila – your cartilage is pierced!
Who doesn’t want to look cool without any pain? That’s why minors are hopping on this trend, and do you know where they end up in? The Operating Room!
There was one particular case that garnered headlines, where doctors had to remove the appendix of a 9-year-old boy to save his life after he swallowed these magnets.
Source: BorestoneParents via Facebook
This dangerous new TikTok challenge, besides the fact that at least 65 children in England have been hospitalized after ingesting magnets, has prompted the NHS to issue a patient-safety alert.
Back Crack Challenge
The challenge involves two people standing back to back. You will kneel and put your hands behind your head. The other person will put their arms through yours and pick you up like they were putting on a backpack.
Source: Jas & Soph Clough via TikTok
If done carefully, you will feel a relief in your spine. Still, it is not advisable to crack your bone at home, especially like this.
It is one of the worst TikTok trends of 2021, as botching this maneuver can result in joint strain, swelling, breakdown, and pulled muscles. That’s why TikTok is bad for kids!
Rubbing Under Tongue
All you need to do is to push the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then rub underneath the tongue (around the veins and slimy corridors).
Source: @Hollyjxo via TikTok
According to those who tried it, it gave them a feeling of touching a willy. Such a bizarre and pointless trend, but it’s TikTok, what do you expect?
Also, the video-sharing app doesn’t censor age-restricted content, so sex may have been on your kid’s mind for a while now.
Door Kick Challenge
The challenge sees teenagers recording themselves kicking the door of a random house in their neighborhood. The footage is then uploaded to TikTok with Kesha’s song “Die Young” in the background.
Source: @Jamel via TikTok
Why is TikTok bad? Kids can hurt themselves doing the prank and no one knows what will happen behind the door. Besides, they can face criminal charges, including misdemeanors and even felonies.
As the challenge is turning into a real threat, police across the country encourage parents to be proactive and supervise what their children are watching.
What can parents do to make TikTok safer for kids?
These innocuous-sounding trends obviously can turn a child’s life upside down. So, you need to regularly have conversations with your children about the dark side of TikTok, educating them about what is appropriate and what is not.
To do that, parents also need to update themselves on the dangerous new TikTok challenge to promptly educate and prevent their children from trying them.
Worst TikTok trends of 2021 – Online safety tips for parents
Join your kids in online activities
- To know what content they like or what they don’t (and why): Make sure the apps, games, and websites your child is using are age-appropriate.
- To strengthen your relationships.
- To teach your child what is and isn’t right for them, then make some mini-lessons about Internet dangers.
- When you find dangerous TikTok challenges 2022, make sure they don’t show up again. You can also report them so they can be reviewed and removed promptly.
Use free parental control software
To protect your child from a dangerous new TikTok challenge, consider using an additional free content filtering tool to hide 15 types of harmful content on the Internet, including:
- Pornography
- Horrifying content like gore, accidents, ghosts, violence, murder, terrorism, etc
- Content about stimulants, addictive substances such as alcohol, beer, marijuana, drugs, etc
- Content with aggressive elements, hurting others like Hate speech
This free porn blocker extension can help to minimize your child’s access to harmful content, ensuring a healthy online environment for your child without violating their privacy rights.
Don’t be unwary of dangerous TikTok challenges 2022
A common mistake parents make is that they are too optimistic, thereby becoming subjective and thinking that their child will never try the worst TikTok trends of 2021.
You can not let children freely watch TikTok, because the child’s brain is not fully developed, and they are easily influenced by pressure from friends to do a dangerous new TikTok challenge.
But you can’t ban them from using this youth-centric platform, which will limit their access to an immeasurable source of information.
That’s why it is crucial to use technology to minimize harmful effects and keep educating your kids about the Internet’s dangers.
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