Revisiting 8 Most Dangerous TikTok Trends Of All Time

The video app, which debuted in 2016, quickly became a global sensation. By 2024, it would boast over one billion monthly users. According to Statista, the United States led the pack with nearly 150 million users, followed by Indonesia with 126 million and Brazil with nearly 99 million viewers. But is anyone stopping to think about what this mass user base is being exposed to?

The Chinese app is home to endless creative content but it also shelters darker corners. TikTok is among the apps that lead the space of dangerous challenges on the internet. While trending games have been around digitally for some years now - recall the lethal Blue Whale Challenge and the mindless Ice Bucket Challenge - TikTok has unfortunately become a hotspot for all things bizarre and nasty.

Here are some TikTok challenges that have occupied user interests at different points of time in recent years but should rather have not.

Revisiting 8 Most Dangerous TikTok Trends Of All Time

1. Sleepy Chicken 

The sleepy chicken trend, bizarre as it was, was a revival of an earlier challenge that became popular on Reddit some years ago. Netizens daring enough to partake in the trend apparently have to cook raw chicken in cold medicine - most prominently NyQuil - and the concoction would turn out to be a remedy for the flu. Doctors, however, flagged the risks this chicken dish carried, calling attention to the concentration of drugs saturated in the meat in this kind of preparation. More on that here.

2. Blackout Challenge 

This trend required its players to hold their breaths on camera until the point that they passed out. Also called the 'choking challenge,' reports claim the stunt is responsible for multiple child deaths in the United States. Last year, 10-year-old Nyla Anderson passed away while allegedly attempting this challenge, as per her mother. The girl fell unconscious in her room and was rushed to hospital when her parents discovered her, but she couldn't be saved.

3. Tank Cleaner

In one of the latest trends to surface on TikTok, some netizens are reportedly recommending the consumption of fish tank cleaner solutions to slow down ageing and boost metabolism. As per the New York Post, TikTokers - fitness influencers in particular - are under fire from doctors for touting methylene blue as an anti-ageing remedy. While the salt is used as prescribed medication for humans in some cases, doctors are saying claims that it reverses ageing are bogus.

4. Dry Scooping 

This was also a trend from last year that doctors urgently warned against. Apparently, TikTok users were encouraging each other to ingest a scoopful of dry protein powder directly without diluting it with water, as is recommended. Doing this would give a greater boost to energy pre-workout, they claimed. Doctors strongly advised against it citing the various health hazards the artificial ingredients in these powders could cause. As per reports, the trend even led to a 20-year-old facing a heart attack.

5. Slap A Teacher

One of the most vicious and mean-spirited trends to ever surface on platforms like TikTok was the 'slap a teacher' trend that led to incidents of assaults on some campuses in the US. A notable one that came to the fore was a disabled teacher in Louisiana allegedly being pushed out of her wheelchair by her student attempting the challenge. TikTok called the "rumoured" challenge an "insult to educators" and warned that if videos of it surfaced on the app, they would be removed. Read here.

6. Chroming

In March 2023, a 13-year-old girl in Australia tragically passed away due to chemical exposure during a sleepover. She was participating in a TikTok trend known as ‘chroming’, which involves inhaling fumes from aerosol cans like deodorants. Chroming, though not new, gained widespread attention through TikTok, where users share videos under terms like ‘WhipTok’. This trend has amassed over 546.3 million views on the platform, introducing a new generation to this dangerous behaviour.

7. The 'Angel of Death' Challenge

Another concerning trend is the 'Angel of Death' challenge. In June 2022, Insider reported deaths in Indonesia linked to this challenge, where teenagers jump in front of moving trucks. Despite tragic outcomes, some continue to attempt these risky acts.

8. Permanent Freckles 

TikTok also influences beauty trends, like getting freckle tattoos. These tattoos, lasting 8 months to 2 years, cost $200–$500. However, DIY attempts using unsafe methods like stick-and-poke have resulted in negative experiences, with users cautioning against such practices. Several medical professionals have advised against the trend. Dr. Anthony Youn, a plastic surgeon, talked about the medical implications of freckles which are not very fashionable. He said that freckles are indicators of sun exposure and sun damage. Dr Shah also warned against the trend and said that permanent freckles can be dangerous and lead to scarring.