We've seen a lot of stupid challenges on the Internet. Teenagers have dared each other to eat Tide pods, chug a gallon of milk and even light themselves on fire. Some of these stunts are incredibly dangerous, which is no doubt part of the appeal.
But the deadly "Choking Game" craze isn't new. It actually dates back to the 1930's, proving that every generation has their "Tide Pod kids." This 'game' is exactly what it sounds like: You choke yourself until you lose consciousness, cutting off the blood flow to your brain to experience a feeling of euphoria. Studies show that hundreds of kids have died while playing "The Choking Game," accidentally strangling themselves in pursuit of a brief high. (And some that survived suffered permanent brain damage.)
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 82 people in the United States died from playing this 'game' between 1995 and 2007. Their ages ranged from six to 19, and most of the victims were boys between 11 and 16. Between 2000 and 2015, over 1,400 children and teenagers died from 'accidental hanging and strangulation.' That is 500 less than the number of children and teenagers killed by accidental shootings.
12-year-old Jesse Grant was one of the victims of this 'game.'. He played "The Choking Game" with his computer cord and accidentally suffocated. Afterward, his mom started the website Games Adolescents Shouldn’t Play (GASP), to raise awareness of this misunderstood activity.
In December 2017, YouTube announced that they would remove "Choking Game" videos as part of an effort to to stop the spread of potentially dangerous content. However, a search for "The Choking Game" still gets many results. Advocates worry that its popularity will continue to grow.
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Due to the popularity of shows like Jackass, and the many Jackass imitators on YouTube, many people are tempted to do stupid, dangerous stunts. But the consequences are anything but entertaining. After 11-year-old Garrett Pope Jr. died playing, his father wrote this heart-rending Facebook post:
"He was our oldest son, a 6th grade student at the middle school, had just started to play football on Tuesday night, wanted to go to Clemson, was funny, smart, and an amazing son to us and brother to his siblings.
We do not know where Garrett learned this [the choking game], but the logical source would be from other kids in school, or in our neighbourhood.
Please know that his senseless death was not intentional. He took this terrible ‘game’ too far. My family has never felt pain like this before, and we don’t anyone else to go through what we are going through. Please talk about this with your kids, and do everything you can to prevent a similar tragedy."
While teenagers will always be reckless, hopefully they can find less dangerous ways to express those feelings. In games like this one, there are no winners.
In a related story, this teen suffered horrific injuries after taking part in the "Tide Pod Challenge"...