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TikTok ‘Blackout Challenge’: 10-Year-Old Girl Declared Brain-Dead After Attempting Dangerous Game

Social media platforms face a lot of scrutiny. One social media-related game on TikTok led to a 10-year-old girl dying in Italy.

The young girl was taking part in the “Blackout Challenge” on TikTok. It has other names to it, but the game itself is dangerous and deadly. Here’s how the game is played: A person wraps their hands around their throat and sees how long he or she can go without passing out.

In this case, the young girl tied a belt around her next and asphyxiated herself. Medics were called to the child’s home in Palermo, Italy on Thursday, took her to the hospital and she was declared brain-dead.

After receiving this news, her grieving parents were asking for her organs to be donated.

TikTok Wants Users To Push ‘Report’ Symbol

TikTok has been encouraging users to alert the social media platform when a person is in danger by punching the “Report” symbol.

While this is quite sad and serious, it highlights to what lengths young and old alike will go to be a part of any trend or community.

Recently, talk about how social media platforms can give people space to stir up conspiracy theories, make plans for potential terrorist attacks, and even assassinations of public officials has become prevalent. TikTok is a platform where creators have up to one minute to put together videos. Popular genres on TikTok include dance, education, and comedy.

When TikTok and other platforms are used for fun, there is a likability to them. Users can find themselves drawn into the content for hours on end, maybe even ignoring their own personal health needs.

Playing games like the “Blackout Challenge” is one way that puts people who don’t know about TikTok on alert. It should even make people who don’t use the platform on edge as well. Who knows what types of people or adrenaline-pushing games leave children and adults wanting more.

Platform Comes Under Fire From Former President Trump

TikTok has come under fire in the United States in the past few months. Former President Donald J. Trump wanted the platform shut down, yet it remains up and working for people in the United States and around the world. It is known in China as Douyin, a video-sharing network service from Chinese company ByteDance.

A lot of well-known celebrities and others have found TikTok worth using to connect with another audience. People like Will Smith, Kevin Hart, Selena Gomez, and Gordon Ramsey have developed a large following on the platform. Even Bill Nye “The Science Guy” is using it to bring awareness to different science-related issues.

TikTok, like other social media platforms, is used for good and ill. Sadly, in the case of the 10-year-old Italian girl, it led to her losing her life. Games can have consequences so play with caution with others online.

Take the little girl’s death as a stark reminder of what can happen when things don’t work out.

H/T: New York Post