Over the past couple of days, videos have been doing the rounds showing one person jumping who is then is tripped by two others on either side. Picture: YouTube.com Over the past couple of days, videos have been doing the rounds showing one person jumping who is then is tripped by two others on either side. Picture: YouTube.com
Videos of children doing crazy, and sometimes dangerous, things have become a daily occurrence. From online challenges to dares, there's no questioning how far some would go for more "likes" and "reactions".
But now a new challenge has gone viral, and parents are petrified. According to various news reports from around the globe, the skull breaker challenge could be the most dangerous yet.
Over the past couple of days, videos have been doing the rounds showing one person jumping who is then is tripped by two others on either side. The result is the "willing" victim falling flat on their back. The challenge first surfaced on TikTok and seems to be a favourite among school children.
Things seem to have gotten so far out of control that state police in Kerala have issued a warning, asking kids not to partake in the challenge.
"You must have noticed gaming challenges such as Skull Breaker which has been going around the internet in recent years. Such challenges being attempted by kids on a whim are mostly cropping up on TikTok. There have been several reports that people have sustained serious injuries simply by attempting such challenges," they posted on their Facebook page.
undefined"Parents, school authorities and fellow students should exercise extreme caution to ensure that such life threatening gaming challenges are not performed by people including our children," they further noted.
According to Gadgets Now the trend has taken hold in schools in Europe and South America after several videos went viral of pupils performing the challenge.
This isn't the first time such a dangerous online challenge has viral. In 2017, the Blue Whale challenge sparked fear among parents around the globe. The online social media group said to be behind the craze, goaded teens into taking their own lives within 50 days of taking up the challenge.
The Skull Breaker could prove to be even more problematic as it could lead to massive head trauma and injuries.
Dr Bianca Visser, an emergency medicine practitioner at the emergency department of Netcare Unitas Hospital, urged parents to seek medical attention if their child received a blow to the head.
"It is always advisable to err on the side of caution, particularly when it comes to head injuries," she said.
"It is vital that a medical professional assesses the child to determine whether there are no symptoms of a concussion at all, a possible concussion or something even more serious like a broken bone in the skull, a bruised brain or a bleed in or around the brain," Visser advised.
“My advice to parents is to contact your doctor and have a medical professional assess your child as soon as possible, if you are at all concerned about a head injury that your child has sustained.
"It is also important for parents to receive information on how to further manage a head injury such as a concussion at home, to prevent potential long term consequences,” she concluded.