UAE Authorities Issue Urgent Warning on Resurgent Social Media Challenges
In today's digital age, merely sending children to school and monitoring homework is no longer sufficient for parental duties. With the pervasive influence of social media and escalating technology use among youth, parents must now confront viral trends that often verge on being harmful or even fatal. These activities, including reckless stunts and dares, gain rapid popularity online and infiltrate school environments, where impressionable teenagers frequently engage in them. Recently, education and health authorities across the United Arab Emirates have intensified calls for schools and parents to remain vigilant as numerous dangerous physical dares re-emerge among children and adolescents.
What Are These Dangerous Trends?
Education authorities have received reports from schools detailing incidents where students participate in unsafe activities such as choking, breath-holding, and applying pressure to the neck or head while attempting viral social media challenges. One particularly alarming trend is the "Skull Breaker Challenge," which involves tricking an individual into jumping and then deliberately tripping them, often resulting in falls onto the back or head. This stunt gained notoriety on TikTok in 2020 and continues to pose severe risks.
Doctors Warn of Permanent Harm and Life-Threatening Consequences
Health professionals emphasize that what may start as a prank can swiftly escalate into a life-threatening situation. According to Dr. Rabea Abazeed, a Specialist in Paediatrics at Burjeel Medical Centre in Al Shamkha, these viral challenges are "extremely dangerous" and can lead to serious, sometimes permanent harm. She explains, "The 'skull breaker' stunt causes a sudden, uncontrolled fall, which can result in head injuries like concussions, skull fractures, brain injury, or spinal trauma."
Dr. Renuka Ramasamy, a Specialist in Family Medicine at International Modern Hospital Dubai, highlights the "blackout challenge" as especially concerning. This challenge involves intentionally restricting oxygen to the brain until lightheadedness occurs. Dr. Ramasamy warns that teenagers may asphyxiate themselves to the point of losing consciousness, with the potential for permanent brain damage or death within five minutes due to the brain's extreme sensitivity to oxygen deprivation. "This type of hypoxia quickly injures brain cells and can have irreversible effects," she adds.
Supporting these concerns, the National Centre for Health Research in the United States reported that between 1995 and 2007, at least 82 children aged 6 to 19 died from choking game activities.
Why Are Children Particularly Vulnerable to These Challenges?
Experts point out that adolescents are a critical focus for these challenges due to their ongoing socio-emotional and brain development. Between ages 9 and 16, social media usage increases sharply, leading to greater exposure to risky content. Numerous studies indicate that higher screen time impacts brain areas responsible for impulse control and emotional regulation. When combined with peer pressure and the desire for social validation through "likes" and "comments," the allure of performing such stunts becomes significantly heightened.
UAE Schools Proactively Raise Awareness and Implement Safeguards
Schools in the UAE are addressing these issues directly with the assistance of counsellors and enhanced communication strategies. Stephanie Watson, Deputy Headteacher Secondary at Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi, notes that the school employs counsellors and trained wellbeing ambassadors who lead student-focused "Wellbeing Expos." These events provide a platform for young people to discuss real issues, including dangerous online challenges, openly.
Additionally, the school incorporates PSME (Personal, Social and Moral Education) lessons that feature a digital safety programme tailored for each year group, ensuring age-appropriate education on online risks.
How Can Parents Help Protect Their Children?
Health experts recommend that parents remain vigilant for physical signs such as bloodshot eyes, small red spots around the eyes, unexplained marks or bruising on the neck, frequent severe headaches, and disorientation after periods spent alone. Warning signs may also include secrecy around devices and group chats, as well as language that normalizes such stunts.
One of the most crucial steps is maintaining open communication with children about their online interests and the social media topics discussed within their school groups. Even parents whose children are not active on social media should stay informed, as peer pressure and trends can spread rapidly and widely.
Furthermore, implementing parental controls on social media accounts and setting time limits on digital device usage can promote healthy behavior and ensure safer online practices.
