10-year-old Girl from US Dies After Trying Viral ‘Blackout Challenge’ on Social Media

In the challenge, the participant has to hold her breath till she faints. Nylah Anderson was in her room alone when she took the challenge. There was no one to save her. Her mother told abc7: “She was a butterfly. She was everything. She was a happy child.” The report said that “Nylah is described as fun and bright. She spoke three languages. Like most tweens, she was on social media and participated in the recently popular, viral, and extremely dangerous Blackout Challenge.”
A few days ago, in a similar incident, a teenager from Indore accidentally hung himself while trying to make a reel for Instagram. Aditya tried to shoot a video of fake hanging. However, as the teen climbed on a chair and put a noose around his neck, he slipped, leading to the rope making a deathly grip.
Many children have died till now while trying to do the Blackout Challenge. Short video platform TikTok was under the scanner after the challenge went viral on the platform. A 10-year-old girl in Italy and a 12-year-old boy from the USA lost their lives after they held their breath too long. The girl died in a Palermo hospital after being discovered by her five-year-old sister in her family bathroom with her cellphone, said an AFP report. Joshua Haileyesus from Colorado died after being on life support for 19 days. Medical experts have warned that lack of oxygen produced during the game can lead to brain and organ damage.
Nylah’s mother, Tawainna Anderson, has asked parents to keep an eye on their children’s social media activities. “Make sure you check your kids’ phones. You never know what you might find on their phones. You wouldn’t think 10-year-olds would try this. They’re trying because they’re kids and they don’t know better,” she told abc7.