The 'Skull Breaker Challenge' On TikTok Is By Far The Dumbest Trend To Ever Hit The Internet
Source - In a discovery that should surprise no one, medical experts are saying that a viral phenomenon known as the “skull-breaker challenge” could prove deadly to its predominantly teen participants.
For the thankfully uninitiated, the viral stunt originated in Spain, where three students were filmed jumping next to each other as the two bookending buddies kick the middle guy’s feet out from under him. Go figure: The harebrained act sends the victim toppling to the ground, landing on their back and hitting the back of their head in the process. For whatever reason, the “skull-breaker challenge” took TikTok by storm, resulting in injuries across the US.
Look, as someone who lives on the internet, I've seen a ton of dumb trends. Eating Tide Pods, snorting condoms, burning yourself with salt and ice, THE KNOCKOUT GAME...you name it, I've seen it. But this? This has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever seen on the internet. It's not even funny. It's literally just people getting their legs kicked out from under them while they're in the air. It's one of those things that hit TikTok and went mega viral basically overnight despite being insanely dangerous.
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Here are a few examples:
You get the idea. There are more graphic versions out there that I'm not going to include. So many people were getting hurt that #StopTheSkullBreakerChallenge started to trend. Even doctors offices are now TikToking PSAs to try and get people to stop.
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From Yahoo News:
Doctors have condemned the practice for its potentially fatal outcome, reports Yahoo News. The “skull-breaker challenge” can cause a host of “serious and life-threatening injuries,” ranging from “skull fracture to paralysis, and death,” according to Nathan Richards, MD, an internal medicine and pediatrics specialist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Denise Klinkner, a pediatric surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota seconded Richards’ statement to Yahoo News. “In spite of knowing this is the intent, the falling teen rapidly lands without blocking the fall, leading to at minimum a concussion,” she says. Klinkner adds that “an outstretched hand to block the fall may lead to a broken wrist or arm.”
So if you see someone doing this tell them to stop and if you find yourself being asked to jump in the air, don't. Oh, and one last thing, follow @st6 on TikTok. I promise no one will get hurt.