It is increasingly common to see how children and adolescents are influenced by the viral challenges on social media, especially those found on TikTok. This time it has occurred in Riverview, Florida, United States, where the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has informed the public about the latest prank – which is not funny at all – that young people are carrying out in the streets.
It is called the ‘door-kicking challenge,’ during which young people kick the door of a random house and shoot into the air with a pellet gun, before running away. The police in Florida have warned about the dangers of such behaviors and are holding parents responsible for paying attention to the social media content their children consume.
Social media viral challenges
Unfortunately, children and teenagers are spending more and more time in front of a mobile phone, endlessly scrolling through social media like Instagram or TikTok. It is precisely the latter that showcases viral content, encouraging users to put it into practice, no matter how absurd it may be. Some are harmless, like dances, while many others are dangerous and even put the lives of those who participate at risk. And yes, some of them have ended up causing the death of those who have tried to replicate them.
That is why, as is already advised, it is important to know what our young people are consuming on social media, but beyond that, it is important to create a critical capacity in them that allows them to analyze and decide what constitutes a risky activity for their integrity and what can be an innocuous activity.
“Kick the door” Challenge
The latest viral challenge that has taken to the streets of Florida, mainly in the Riverview area, is the ‘kick the door Challenge’. As absurd and simple as it sounds: young people choose a random house, kick the door, fire a shot into the air with a BB gun, and run away. A security camera captured a group of minors performing this challenge on the streets of Riverview, of which 5 have already been identified according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The video clearly shows one of the youngsters wearing a balaclava and holding a BB gun. After approaching a house, he kicks the door, shoots into the sky, and they all run away.
The gravity of these facts, besides the evident one, is the ignorance of who is behind that door and how they might react in that situation. Authorities have warned about the danger of it, as the affected individuals, not knowing whether it is a joke or not, may react dangerously by believing they are facing a real threat.
What can parents do?
It is clear that the role of parents is essential in these cases. It is true that we live in an increasingly digitalized society, and it seems impossible to control everything that their children can consume through social media. However, in light of a new reality, new measures are needed. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has encouraged parents to talk to their children about the real dangers of engaging in this type of viral challenges. They advise monitoring adolescents’ device usage, as well as the importance of open communication with them, providing a safe space and reinforcing their self-efficacy. Some of the advices given to parents are:
- Monitor the use of social media.Maintain open and constant communication.
- Explain to them the dangers of engaging in these viral challenges, not only for themselves but for others as well.
- Teach them not to seek validation through peer pressure, but through activities that they feel comfortable with.
It is important that both parents, young people, and authorities work in the same direction to prevent these types of activities and their potentially disastrous consequences.
It seems that not everything on TikTok is viral challenges… check out this interesting article about what not to do with your car before a trip!