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The rise of social media apps such as TikTok has led to an increase in viral challenges that have caught the young and the old's attention. Unfortunately, however, these challenges also put young kids at risk while participating in them. As a result, parents are increasingly expressing concerns about the dangers they pose to their children.

Nylah Anderson

TikTok is facing several lawsuits after discovering that two children had died. One was 10-year-old Nylah Anderson. Her family said she had been playing an extreme game on social networking. A cousin told police that she saw a strangulation challenge on the website but did not know where it came from. So instead, she tried to do the challenge herself. It was not successful. Eventually, she was rushed to Nemours Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Another lawsuit filed against TikTok was by the parents of an eight-year-old girl named Lalani Erika Renee Walton. The girl had posted many video clips of herself singing and dancing. She was an avid TikTok user who received a phone for her eighth birthday. She had a love for makeup and dancing. In a video posted to TikTok, she said she wanted to become famous.

The "Blackout Challenge" is a viral phenomenon that asks participants to choke themselves while holding their breath. It has been linked to the deaths of at least 20 children in the past 18 months. It's an alpha-numeric cryptogram involving a series of tasks designed to get you to asphyxiate. One of these tasks is to hold your breath while swaying your head from side to side. Once you pass out, you may reemerge moments later. Several variations of the challenge have been broadcast on various websites and social media platforms. Unfortunately, during the first few years of the challenge, some 82 minors died. Many of the fatalities were classified as suicide.

TikTok's algorithm has been blamed in many wrongful death lawsuits. But, according to the Social Media Victims Law Center, TikTok knew or should have known that the challenge was dangerous.

Several months after Arriani Jaileen Arroyo, a nine-year-old girl, died in a blackout challenge on TikTok, her parents filed a lawsuit against the social media platform. Their suit claims TikTok is "programming children for corporate profits," and it is an app that is "a predatory and manipulative tool that is a dangerous distraction and threat to the safety of young people," according to the suit.

A recent Bloomberg survey has found that 15 kids under 13 have died in viral challenges on social media platforms. Many of these young victims try to mimic the videos they see on TikTok.

Other TikTok challenges include chugging Benadryl and climbing milk crates. Although the risks involved in these challenges may seem benign, the algorithms that feed them to users are specifically designed to drive the brain into a state of oxygen deficiency. That encourages teens to take many Benadryl pills to experience hallucinations. As a result, Benadryl can cause health problems such as stroke, seizures, high blood pressure, and heart attacks. In May this year, three teenagers were rushed to a Texas hospital after a Benadryl Challenge on TikTok. One teen ended up in the hospital after he took 14 pills. He arrived at the hospital with a 199 heart rate.

A new viral craze, the Momo challenge, has swept the United Kingdom. This game, an urban legend, is said to encourage self-harm and even suicide. The "Momo" challenge began last summer when reports surfaced of invitations to participate in the game using WhatsApp. This is a messaging app used by many people. It's also said that videos of the challenge are being shared on social media. They may contain the image of a creepy-looking bird-lady that is said to escalate to extreme violence.

The Blue whale challenge is a viral and dangerous trend gaining popularity on social media. It is a game that requires teenagers to complete 50 difficult tasks in 50 days. In the final challenge, the participants are asked to commit suicide. The Blue Whale challenge started in Russia in 2016. Then it spread to the United States in the spring of this year. Since then, it has claimed the lives of dozens of Russian youths. These deaths were investigated in hospital reports. They showed that the desire to get attention was the primary driver for these deaths.

Scalp popping is a recent TikTok trend, and it's definitely not for the faint of heart. The act involves pulling on your hair, usually with force, and producing a loud popping sound.

The "Two Best Friends in a Room, They Might Kiss" trend is a TikTok favorite. Using this trend, you make a lip sync video that includes leaning in for a kiss at the end. On the other hand, the "Trickster Voice Effect" has been making waves on the platform. Basically, it's a voice effect that makes you look like you're holding the jacket of a flea. Taking the TikTok trend a step further is the "Angelic Yield" phenomenon. This is a new trend that started over the weekend, and it's a reaction to the "devious licks" trend.

Despite its claims that it is "programming" kids for its own profit, TikTok has spent billions of dollars creating dangerous products for kids and adults. TikTok faces multiple lawsuits from parents who believe their kids have died due to the social media site's choking game. Some of these lawsuits are pending in Los Angeles and Oakland federal courts.

A CDC study found that 82 children died from choking games from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s. The CDC also noted that most deaths were among children between 11 and 16.