Current Events > TikTok offers 'sympathies' after 13 y/o boy dies from Benadryl Challenge

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://nypost.com/2023/04/20/tiktok-offers-sympathies-after-boy-dies-of-benadryl-challenge/

TikTok has released a statement regarding the death of 13-year-old Ohio boy Jacob Stevens, who died earlier this week while partaking in the deadly Benadryl Challenge allegedly popularized on the platform. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family, reps for the China-based social media site told The Post. At TikTok, we strictly prohibit and remove content that promotes dangerous behavior with the safety of our community as a priority. They added, We have never seen this type of content trend on our platform and have blocked searches for years to help discourage copycat behavior. Jacob had been participating in the aforementioned Benadryl Challenge in which participants take 12 to 14 of the antihistamines six times the recommended dose in order to induce hallucinations.

The potentially deadly stunt started blowing up in 2020 as teens uploaded their attempts on TikTok in a bid to become internet famous. This resulted in several deaths with Jacob becoming just the latest victim of the foolhardy pharmaceutical feat. The teens father, Justin, explained that his son was at home last weekend with friends when he overdosed. Footage taken by his pals showed the Columbus resident downing the pills, after which his body reportedly started to seize up. Jacob was subsequently rushed to the hospital and put on a ventilator, where he remained for six days before eventually succumbing to his injuries. In light of his sons tragic death, the devastated Ohioan warned fellow parents about the dangers of teens using social media unsupervised. Keep an eye at what theyre doing on that phone, he said. Talk to them about the situation. I want everyone to know about my son. Unfortunately, the Benadryl Challenge is just the latest in a long line of potentially deadly challenges TikTok has been accused of allowing to proliferate on its platform. Other viral feats have included the skullbreaker challenge, the cha-cha slide challenge and the blackout challenge, which encourages internet clout-seekers to asphyxiate themselves until passing out. In January, a 12-year-old girl in Argentina accidentally hanged herself to death while attempting the latter fad.

We have never seen this type of content trend on our platform

Like fuck they haven't.

yeah keeping our son tf away from Tik Tok, or whatever app takes its place.

no fatal challenges for you, sonny

Its tragic but all the kids doing (Something dangerous and stupid) challenge is insane.

Rip

lww99 posted...

yeah keeping our son tf away from Tik Tok, or whatever app takes its place.

no fatal challenges for you, sonny

You could try being a good parent instead, idk

I promise if your kid sees somebody chug benadryl on an app and decides "good idea" the problem wasn't the app, it was whoever raised a total dumbass

Has Tik Tok also prevented these teenagers from using basic common sense

Wait parents arent suppose to restrict access to harmful material?

this is news to me. Thanks CE!!

Gritty posted...

Has Tik Tok also prevented these teenagers from using basic common sense

Yeah, its starting to look that way. Makes sense, really. Get them hooked on an algorithm pushing moronic shit for years of course they lose some critical thinking ability.

Tik tok should be banned I tried it once and was immediately bombarded by stuff I did not want to see. I had never used tiktok before and did not link it to any of my other social media accounts so I don't know why it was showing me the stuff it did. Delete all your social media don't become the next victim of the algorithm.

KTG2 posted...

You could try being a good parent instead, idk

I promise if your kid sees somebody chug benadryl on an app and decides "good idea" the problem wasn't the app, it was whoever raised a total dumbass

keeping your kid away from social media is being a good parent

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


how, exactly, do you do that when one of these challenges can go viral and start killing people in a day?

SupermanLost posted...

We have never seen this type of content trend on our platform and have blocked searches for years to help discourage copycat behavior.

This guy lmfao

KTG2 posted...

You could try being a good parent instead, idk

I promise if your kid sees somebody chug benadryl on an app and decides "good idea" the problem wasn't the app, it was whoever raised a total dumbass

people dont like to believe this

TikTok and Youtube Shorts are so fucking dangerous and there are a lot of bad actors. As a parent or guardian, you should be teaching your kids to not believe that stuff and not copy it.

Those platform needs better content moderation. It's unbelievable the amount of insanely inappropriate shit that get uploaded and disguised as content for kids.

KTG2 posted...

You could try being a good parent instead, idk

I promise if your kid sees somebody chug benadryl on an app and decides "good idea" the problem wasn't the app, it was whoever raised a total dumbass

I don't think that's fair, I was raised well and still did all kinds of stupid shit as a kid, like most of us.

Whats next? The Bleach Chug Challenge?

Flauros posted...

The Bleach Chug Challenge?

isn't surprising they're will be something "deadly" challenge like that.
personal unfavorite was the tide pod challenge.

bleach is so perfect if want to never be able to eat normally again.

Quicksilver posted...

immediately bombarded by stuff I did not want to see. I had never used tiktok before and did not link it to any of my other social media accounts so I don't know why it was showing me the stuff it did.

not that I use or really care about tiktok either but this sort of makes sense? like if you did link it to other accounts wouldn't it be better at showing you stuff you wanted to see?

SupermanLost posted...

We have never seen this type of content trend on our platform

Fucking

BRUH

Flauros posted...

Whats next? The Bleach Chug Challenge?

Tide Pod challenge already happened.

voldothegr8 posted...

I don't think that's fair, I was raised well and still did all kinds of stupid shit as a kid, like most of us.

Honestly this. I have friends that grew up in healthy family households and still do dumb shit. No doubt Parents should get some of the blame, but there are times when children and teenagers are the real ones that should get some or most of the blame for doing dumb shit like this. Some kids/teenagers are just pieces of shits.

I had a friend (in context, was the first guy I met in my homeroom in my freshman year) from highschool that joined a gang because he wanted to be (in his words) a "pimp master" even though he grew up in a wealthy household. He would even admit to me he did stuff like this to be "be a G" and because his parents were lame. The unfortunate news happened that he got sentenced to Jail because he (and some accomplices) killed an old couple while robbing them. Even up to this day, I share some guilt because I never told anyone that he joined a Gang, because I didn't want to be a "snitch" and a "loser". If I had, I probably could've saved him from going to Jail...or not.

thronedfire2 posted...

keeping your kid away from social media is being a good parent

Was gonna say this.

thronedfire2 posted...

keeping your kid away from social media is being a good parent

Yup. You have to be vigilant too, because there are so many sites that can be a problem. BandLab for instance is a really bad scene. So many fucking predators prowling for minors.

Damn. 12 to 14? 1 knocks me out a minimum of 10 hours with super grogginess when I wake up. How can people survive near that amount if they dont die?

SupermanLost posted...

At TikTok, we strictly prohibit and remove content that promotes dangerous behavior with the safety of our community as a priority. They added, We have never seen this type of content trend on our platform

Well that's just bullshit

KTG2 posted...

You could try being a good parent instead, idk

I promise if your kid sees somebody chug benadryl on an app and decides "good idea" the problem wasn't the app, it was whoever raised a total dumbass

Lmao keeping your kid away from tik tok is being a good parent. You sound like someone who has no business speaking on parenting.

KTG2 posted...

You could try being a good parent instead, idk

I promise if your kid sees somebody chug benadryl on an app and decides "good idea" the problem wasn't the app, it was whoever raised a total dumbass

Kinda this, but also, doesn't matter how well you teach them, some kids are going to do stupid stuff and it isn't *always* the parents' fault. Likewise, blaming the app isn't quite right either; it doesn't cause stupid ideas, it's just one platform that can spread them, as are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, phone calls, IRL conversations...

With that being said I do firmly believe that total honesty around these matters is important. If all your kid has heard is a blanket "drugs are bad mmkay", they won't know how overdosing on pharmaceuticals is very different to smoking a joint in terms of risk. Sure, we don't want kids doing either, but some will, so let's at least make sure they know what's actually going to pose a serious acute risk.

KTG2 posted...

You could try being a good parent instead, idk

I promise if your kid sees somebody chug benadryl on an app and decides "good idea" the problem wasn't the app, it was whoever raised a total dumbass

That.

Simply telling/enforcing on your kids "don't go on TikTok" isn't going to do crap. It will make them want to see what the hub bub is about, and they will go on it behind your back. You need to teach them how/why these "challenges" are stupid and can get people killed.

I've tried benadryl before recreationally but not that many... it's actually physically uncomfortable.

KTG2 posted...

You could try being a good parent instead, idk

I promise if your kid sees somebody chug benadryl on an app and decides "good idea" the problem wasn't the app, it was whoever raised a total dumbass

I like your sig talking about how horrible hateful comments are, and yet here you are being hateful toward someone else.

Keeping your kids off social media just lets them get ostracized from the kids in their friend groups that are on the socials doesnt it?

Kids always are doing stupid shit. He probably would have done something similar without social media.

s0nicfan posted...

Like fuck they haven't.

Like all good drug pushers, they don't use their own product.

Back in my day, the jackass days, theyd have the "do not attempt this at home". Do these videos/platforms have that? Cuz someone deserves to be sued. Maybe the originator of the benadryl challenge should be charged for the deaths, if not TikTok.

With that said, i fully support darwinism.

alfred_ashford posted...

Back in my day, the jackass days, theyd have the "do not attempt this at home". Do these videos/platforms have that? Cuz someone deserves to be sued. Maybe the originator of the benadryl challenge should be charged for the deaths, if not TikTok.

With that said, i fully support darwinism.

I'm sure it's covered in the ToS that no teenager reads

I'll never understand the fascination with self-destructive "challenges" on social media. The tide pods, toilet seat licking, stunts, 'knockout games', etc are just purely harmful and should have been immediately banned the second they began. The fact that sites keep hosting these things is proof they don't actually care about user safety.

ban benadryl

What happened to just climbing up trees?

thronedfire2 posted...

keeping your kid away from social media is being a good parent

Admitting you are incapable of raising a child that can intelligently handle access to information isn't a flex

Oh my God. You people are the exact same as the ban video games of the 90s.

Generations don't change.

How many people here were posting on the internet when they were 13 or younger

Punished_Blinx posted...

How many people here were posting on the internet when they were 13 or younger

>_>

<_<

*raises hand*

Sad, but it is a similar response to gun violence as well.

No consequences for perpetuating dumb decisions.

Aloc posted...

Oh my God. You people are the exact same as the ban video games of the 90s.

Generations don't change.

Yeah, this isn't a thing specific to TikTok...

Punished_Blinx posted...

How many people here were posting on the internet when they were 13 or younger

Not me, surprisingly.

This was the first site I ever used as a video game resource and joined a forum for, and my account was made when I was 15.