Viral challenges, a dangerous practice that ensnares some teenagers
Dangerous viral challenges have grown significantly in recent years, especially among younger people, who often see them as a way to gain recognition and acceptance without a real awareness of the dangers they can pose to both physical and emotional health.
Online challenges are tests that spread through social media. Participants record themselves performing them and then share the recording to encourage others to do the same, until they go viral. These challenges can be as simple as a dance, a joke, or a series of questions, but sometimes they are complex actions that can pose a danger to those who undertake them. According to a study by Hilton et al. (2020), young people between the ages of 12 and 18 are the most vulnerable group to participate in these challenges and are the most susceptible to being influenced by the psychological manipulation they entail.
What are young people looking for when they participate in a dangerous challenge?
For teenagers, these challenges can be fun, but above all, participating in them allows them to experience a sense of belonging, reinforced by the acceptance , visibility, and praise they receive on social media.
The Tegen Internet Misstanden Foundation (which means "Against Internet Abuse" in Dutch) conducted a study with young people aged 13 to 18 (2018) who had participated in online challenges, some of them dangerous. They explained that the reasons for participating in these types of challenges were:
- Tension/sensation.
- Curiosity.
- Strengthen friendships.
- Increase their popularity and followers.
According to this foundation (based on data from a study conducted in several European countries), 21% of teenagers and young adults participate in challenges; 2% have participated in a challenge they consider risky and dangerous; and only 0.3% have participated in a challenge they categorized as very dangerous. This study also shows that the number of participants decreases with age, as does the recording of the dangerous activity.
Keys to understanding the manipulative design of social networks
Thus, we could say that among the reasons ( vulnerability factors ) that encourage adolescents' participation in these challenges, there are:
- The need to test emotions, reaching extreme situations.
- The release of adrenaline and dopamine associated with challenges.
- The fear of digital exclusion.
- The need to impress peers.
- To increase status within the group, demonstrating "courage".
Young people see viral challenges as a way to gain recognition and acceptance without having a real awareness of the dangers they can entail.
If we talk about risk factors that contribute to participating in and completing challenges, without taking the consequences into account, we can highlight:
- Peer pressure.
- Need for acceptance and approval from peers.
- Need for recognition through obtaining "likes", comments and followers.
- Seeking to experience new sensations.
- Distortion of the perception of the dangers caused by these dangerous challenges (underestimating the risks).
- Anonymity and irresponsibility.
- Lack of awareness about the consequences.
- Influence of role models.
- Impulsiveness.
The psychological pressure behind the challenges
Psychological manipulation is a set of tactics and strategies used by individuals or groups to influence or control the beliefs, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors of others in a deceptive or persuasive way. What is the relationship between psychological manipulation and these viral challenges?
There are some challenges that have become "trendy" among young people at some point, and these are clearly dangerous for the person doing them or for anyone in the community. Some examples are:
- "Snob Hunt": This involves attacking young people considered "snob" because of their clothing and posting the images online. It's a violent act that can cause physical and emotional harm to others and to oneself.
- "48 hours missing": consists of leaving home and being hidden and incommunicado for two whole days, generating social alarm and a great emotional impact on the family and the environment.
- "The shell": encourages eating any type of food with its shell, from oranges to eggs, but also non-edible products such as bars of soap or detergent, with the risk that this entails.
- The "cinnamon challenge": the goal is to film yourself eating a spoonful of ground cinnamon without drinking anything and then upload the video to the internet. This challenge carries substantial health risks, causing coughing, gagging, vomiting, and difficulty breathing, and even the risk of pneumonia or lung collapse.
Guidelines for resilient parenting
And you're probably thinking, how can anyone decide to participate in them? Well, in addition to the reasons and vulnerability factors we've mentioned, there's also peer pressure that uses psychological manipulation techniques such as:
Emotional blackmail
It consists of making the young person or teenager feel guilty for not doing what the rest of the group expects: "If you don't do the challenge, you can't be part of the group"; "You're leaving us high and dry, we can't trust you"... This leads the person to carry out the challenge, even if it is against their will and physical integrity.
Love bombing
This strategy is frequently used in coercive cults and consists of overwhelming the young person or teenager with praise, affectionate adjectives, compliments, and continuous, loving messages, in order to gain their trust and get them to agree to one of the challenges proposed by the group: "You are strong and brave, that's why we want you to belong to our group, but to do so you must complete this challenge, which you will find easy." These love bombs reinforce the desire to be part of the group.
How can anyone decide to participate in these challenges even though they are dangerous? Well, there is peer pressure involved, which includes the use of psychological manipulation techniques.
Disinformation
This strategy relies on minimizing or even concealing the real risks involved in the challenge the group proposes. They might even provide false information about people who have done it without incident: "No one has been hurt doing this, don't worry, it's just a game." This creates a false sense of security, reducing both the person's fear and their capacity for critical thinking.
Social coercion
It consists of using direct or indirect group pressure by threatening expulsion, being the target of ridicule, or even losing prestige within the group if the person does not agree to participate in the challenge: "Everyone in the group has done it, you have to do it to belong to this group of brave people."
Cyberbullying
In the digital sphere, social pressure increases, as content such as videos, posts, private chats, etc., are allowed, which can act as instruments to humiliate, shame, emotionally manipulate or coerce a person to do something they do not agree with or even something that is dangerous: "Let's see if you dare to do it once, you are a coward."
Gaslighting
A very dangerous technique: it consists of making the person doubt their perception or judgment, leading them to believe they are exaggerating, mistaken, or overly sensitive. Phrases like these are used: "You always make a drama out of everything"; "You're making up the dangers, you don't know anything"; "No one else sees it as bad as you do, relax." The impact this can have on the person receiving it: it emotionally destabilizes them, causes them to lose self-confidence, and ultimately leads them to give in.
Family, school and community prevention in the use of screens
School and family prevention
Some recommendations to protect young people from the risks associated with dangerous online challenges, both at home and at school, are:
- Create a space of trust and maintain an assertive and respectful dialogue focused on active listening.
- Learn about online threats, including psychological manipulation and dangerous challenges.
- Talk to your children or students about the meaning of peer pressure.
- Set limits and rules (parental control).
- Promote self-esteem.
- Learn about specialized mental health support resources for adolescents and young people.
- Report dangerous content or situations
