Disturbing Internet Challenges That Have Caused Fatalities

The Momo Challenge: A Parent's Worst Nightmare

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For this dangerous internet trend, people (usually young children) would text a mysterious number on WhatsApp to contact a nightmare-inducing character called Momo who would set a serious of challenges including innocent things like watching a horror movie which would then turn sinister, to self-harm and even suicide. It resulted in the deaths of more than one person.

The Blue Whale Challenge: A Game Of Life And Death

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The Blue Whale Challenge was similar to Momo, in both challenges and deadly consequences. This challenge saw 'participants' given tasks through a social media account over a 50 day period, and the tasks included self-harm as well as a final goal of committing suicide - which some people tragically followed through with.

The Extreme Selfie Challenge: The Last Selfie You'll Ever Take

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Selfies are something everyone these days can relate to, as most people try to get the best selfie they can - especially in exciting new places and on vacation. But internet challenges took this to the extreme with people trying to get the most daring selfies possible - usually from high places or in life-threatening circumstances. People have died trying to get the perfect selfie.

The Slender Man Incident: Creepy Legend Turned Murder

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Slender Man began as a creepy internet legend that should have just been left well alone, but it inspired a very real and very dangerous crime in Wisconsin. Two 12 years old decided to try and murder their friend by stabbing her 19 times so that they could then find Slender Man and prevent him from harming their families.

The Punch 4 Punch Challenge: The Fatal Fight Club

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Fighting style challenges are nothing new, especially with young people who want to do a quick punch-up with friends in a test of strength. But things like this always get way out of hand - as is the case with the Punch 4 Punch Challenge, where 2 participants take turns hitting each other. It resulted in at least one death, where a 23-year-old collapsed and died.

The NekNominate Challenge: The Dangers Of Drink

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If there's going to be an internet challenge, it's going to be a drinking game - but this one had too many fatal consequences. People would down a certain amount of alcohol and then nominate the next person to outdo their feat. It inevitably led to people dying from so much alcohol consumption, including one person who downed two pints of gin.

The Tombstoning Challenge: Jump To Your Death

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Not only does this challenge begin dangerously enough with the fact you have to jump into water from a very, very high place, but you also have to do so holding your body in a rigid 'tombstone' position. This challenge resulted in death and injury, with one man falling to his death, another breaking his neck, and a teenager left paralyzed.

The Blackout Challenge: The Trend That Made People Suffocate Themselves

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This challenge saw people suffocating themselves to the point of passing out, which included using belts as strangulation, or holding your breath. The worst thing about this was very young children were trying it. The challenge resulted in a lot of young people cutting off oxygen enough to become brain dead, and one child even died after having their life support switched off when there was no improvement.

The Fire Challenge: Set Yourself Aflame

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We don't even need to say anything more about this - that's it, that's the challenge. Pour flammable liquid on yourself and set yourself on fire. As you can imagine, there were many cases of participants being hospitalized with first-degree and third-degree burns. And needless to say, setting your whole body on fire can result in death.

The Subway Surfing Challenge: Because Trains Aren't Dangerous Enough

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If there's one thing we should all know, it's never mess around on public trains or subway lines. But this challenge saw people trying to 'surf' their way through cities on the back of subway carriages. As you can imagine, it didn't end well for some people - including one man who was clipped and knocked off the train he was surfing, falling to his death.

The Car Surfing Challenge: Many Teens Lost Their Lives

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As if Subway Surfing hadn't been enough of a warning, there was also a trend of Car Surfing, where people would ride on the hood of a moving vehicle. This inevitably resulted in many deaths, with people being thrown from the car when it hit a bump or a turn in the road.

The Planking Challenge: Some People Took It Too Far

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The Planking Challenge is all the more tragic because it could have just been an innocent, fun challenge if people had stuck to planking in the safety of their living room or on a low-rise platform. But people took it to the next level in attempts to plank from higher and higher places - which inevitably led to people falling to their deaths.

The Skull Breaker Challenge: With A Side Of Concussion

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One of the worst things about this challenge is the person who can become seriously injured actually has no idea. The challenge sees two people tricking a third to jump into the air, so they can kick their feet out from under them. Understandably, it's led to people hitting their head pretty hard, leading to concussion. But hit your head hard enough on something sharp, it could lead to death.

The Tide Pod Challenge: A Dangerous Way To Do Laundry

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Laundry detergent is not to be eaten - we can't believe we have to say that, but apparently we do. This didn't stop this challenge from taking the world by storm, though, when teenagers dared each other to eat the small laundry pods. Not only do you have to contend with the toxic contents, but the plastic casing that be a choking hazard, too.

The Benadryl Challenge: A New Way To Die From Overdose

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Just because Benadryl is an allergy medication, doesn't mean it's not a dangerous drug you'd associate with overdosing. This challenge saw people taking large quantities of the stuff to get a new 'high', due to this medication causing drowsiness. The challenge led to an inevitable death, as well as hospitalizations.

The Hot Water Challenge: Not The Best Way To Wake Someone Up

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This is extremely dangerous, but at least if you're doing it to yourself you know the consequences. But this trend - of throwing boiling hot water onto somebody - was even used by people doing it to their unsuspecting sleeping friends. People involved in this challenge have ended up with severe burns, and one child even died after drinking boiling hot water.

The Outlet Challenge: How To Electrocute Yourself

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You might think people grow out of the toddler stage of sticking things into live sockets, but the internet once again proves otherwise. This challenge saw people partially pushing in a plug and then slotting a coin down between the gap. Needless to say, this runs the risk of starting a fire, or electrocuting yourself.

The Bird Box Challenge: Leave It To Sandra Bullock

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After the movie, you may have been tempted to see how much you could achieve around the home while being blindfolded. The problem with this trend was the extreme lengths people went to - including driving whilst blindfolded which, as we know, can result in crashing, death or your vehicle setting on fire.

The Coronavirus Challenge: Let's Lick Everything

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Okay, so some people haven't taken Coronavirus seriously from the very beginning, but this challenge just took it to the next level of irresponsible. Not only is this challenge dangerous in terms of spreading infection, it's also just stupid. It saw so-called influencers licking public things, like airplane toilet seats. And one person tested positive for COVID a few days after taking part in the challenge. Yeah.

The Back Cracking Challenge: Leave It To The Professionals

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We all know having your back cracked is a form of release, and it can be satisfying to simply watch it being done - so no surprise it was a viral challenge. But this trend saw many everyday people trying to crack backs, which could lead to serious injury and health problems. Not to mention if you lifted someone up the wrong way and fell there's always the chance of dying from landing on your neck or smacking your head!

The Sunburn Art Challenge: When Creativity Is More Important Than Sun Safety

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Who cares about protecting your skin from dangerous UV rays when you can make latte foam art on your chest? This challenge saw people trying to draw interesting designs on their skin using sunscreen in small places and then burning the surrounding area. This challenge saw pretty feathers, flowers and risks of skin cancer.

The Lip Challenge: You Too Can Look Like Kylie Jenner

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Why spend a fortune on plastic surgery when you can jump on the back of this dangerous challenge? The Lip Challenge was an attempt to have plumped-up Kardashian lips by sucking on a variety of items, like shot glasses and bottles. But the challenge inevitably led to danger and injuries, including some people's lips turning black - and doctors warned against it.

The Full Face Wax Challenge: Ouch

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Most of us will be used to doing the odd face wax to get rid of those pesky chin hairs, but this challenge just proves the lengths people will go to while bored in lockdown. This one resulted in dangerous risks of skin burns, blocked airways and even wax in eyes - even worse when kids were jumping on the trend, too.

The Gallon Smashing Challenge: The Boy Who Cried Milk

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This challenge combined the best of wasting people's time, causing potentially dangerous and life-threatening injuries and wasting a whole load of fresh milk for no reason. People would grab a gallon or so of milk from the grocery aisle, smash it on the ground and pretend to fall. Kind people would come to their aid - which could obviously result in slips and falls. One person ended up with a broken jaw.

The Ice And Salt Challenge: Burn Yourself For Views

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This challenge saw people putting a layer of salt on their skin, and then covering it with a piece of ice. The salt would make the ice's temperature drop even lower, and result in burning the skin. The aim? To see how long you can stand being burned. With kids jumping on board this trend, it could also result in dangerous third-degree burns.

The Duct Tape Challenge: See How Far You Fall

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The problem with this challenge isn't so much the duct tape part - where people tape themselves to something using a lot

of duct tape - but the part where they desperately try to free themselves. People have fallen free in dangerous ways, including one person who hit their head on a window frame and suffered an aneurysm.

The Milk Crate Challenge: That's One Dangerous Fall

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Why is milk involved in so many internet challenges? Anyway, this one sees people using milk crates to build a high wall/walkway which they then attempt to walk across without falling. But, as you can imagine, people do fall. And depending on how you built up the milk crates, this could be a very dangerous and potentially life-threatening fall.

The Kiki Challenge: The 101 On Dangerous Driving

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This challenge saw people hopping out of a slow-moving car to dance in the road. Sounds like a whole load of fun, but it's really not. First, you have the fact people can get injured just from getting out of a moving vehicle. Then the fact they're actually in the middle of a road, leading to some participants getting hit by cars. Then you have the fact the driver is the one filming the stunt - meaning they're watching their friend, and not the road ahead.

The Cha-Cha Slide Driving Challenge: Reckless Driving To An Upbeat Track

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Most people have busted out the Cha-Cha Slide moves on the dancefloor, but this was ruined when the driving challenge became a thing. People would move the car to the lyrics of the song: swerving dangerously to the left, veering to the right and criss-crossing by moving the car violently. Not only can this one result in your own death, but the death and injury of others in the car, or on the road.

The Condom Snorting Challenge: Not What It Was Meant For

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Practice safe sex, not

dangerous internet challenges. This trend saw people fully snorting condoms through their noses to then pull out through their mouth. Best case scenario, it goes to plan and it's still dangerous, worst case, you get the thing stuck in your nose or throat and need medical intention - with the risk of suffocating or choking to death.