15 dangerous and dumb Internet challenges

Internet challenges became popular as social media started to admit video. Some were useful and altruistic, like the Ice Bucket Challenge, but others were dumb and dangerous.

The Cinnamon Challenge consisted of eating a spoonful of cinnamon powder. Most people coughed it right out. Despite its innocent look, it was dangerous: powdered cinnamon is easy to breathe in and can damage the lungs.

The Hot Pepper Challenge is straightforward: eating a spicy pepper. According to security rating firm Security.org, it can cause severe stomach pains or even worse consequences.

The Salt and Ice Challenge took a lot of work to justify. It had to do with using salt and ice to burn your skin. It was harmful and generally painful.

The Tide Pod Challenge invited people to eat detergent pods due to their bright and attractive candy-like colors—another obviously dangerous trend.

Planking was a funny trend: simulate a plank by laying face down in unexpected places. However, the internet took it too far, and the unconventional places quickly turned dangerous.

The 'Bird Box Challenge' started after Netflix pared with Twitch streamers and dared them to play video games blindfolded to promote a movie. It became dangerous when people started doing it while cooking or driving.

Happy Slapping was a trend that originated in the UK in 2005, as reported by local media at the time. It started as minor pranks of slapping random strangers in the street and filming it. Still, it quickly turned violent and inspired law changes in France.

Also not a challenge but a hoax or urban legend, the Momo appeared as a social media rumor that a user named Momo was cohersing children into committing acts of violence.

The Blue Whale Challenge first appeared in a Russian news report, later debunked, according to fact-checking by Snopes. The "game" supposedly encouraged self-harm, even with fatal consequences.

The challenge was allegedly placed in social media groups where administrators instructed users. Despite the claims, no deaths were linked to the "game" before the media popularized it.

Unlike the Blue Whale and Momo Challenges, the 'Black Out Challenge' has resulted in verified deaths. It encourages users to choke themselves until passing out. According to The Verge, seven families sued TikTok.

However, only some things are so dark. There are also less harmful but dumb challenges circling the internet for several years.

The Banana Sprite challenge was a relevant trend in the last decade. And no, it is not a misspelling for Banana Split. It encouraged users to hold their nausea after eating two bananas and chugging a can of Sprite.

It was an internet mystery that inspired many urban legends: why a diet coke "exploded" when a Mentos candy was dropped in the liquid. Soda geysers are pure physics.

The Gallon Smashing Challenge encouraged users to drop gallons of water or milk at supermarkets and sometimes pretend they fell. According to HuffPost, police charged the creators with disorderly conduct.

The Cheesed Challenge was rather absurd. Parents or pet owners would film their pet or child while throwing cheese slices at their faces instead of saying 'cheese.' It became a Twitter trend in 2019.

Security.org recommends three simple steps to protect yourself and others: Think it through, limit who you interact with, and limit what you share. Teens can learn these tricks from their parents.