The 'Dry-Protein Challenge' And 7 Other Dumb AF Things People Are Trying

Remember the good old days? Where we engaged in foolish behavior that left adults in our life rolling their eyes, but was unlikely to cause death or serious injury? Please, take me back because what today’s kids are up to is terrifying.

When we were young, my siblings and I would take all the cushions off the couches and jump from cushion to cushion like fools. Think, the floor is lava, decades before it was a thing.

It was all fun and games, pun intended, until my sister slipped and nailed her forehead on the corner of the video cabinet. Mom was at work, Dad was in charge, and my sister, well, she ended up getting three stitches on her third birthday. It could have been worse, but in reality, accidents happen. I mean, we didn’t mean for her to get hurt. We were playing a game, using our imagination, ya know, the good old-fashioned way. But when you fast-forward almost three decades later, you’ll be wishing cushion-jumping was your biggest worry.

Remember back in 2018 when everyone was eating TidePods? Apparently, they made people nostalgic for gushers (or something). Did people learn? No. No, they did not. The level of tomfoolery only has increased. With the rise of the new social media platform, TikTok, we seem to be evolving backward? Let me explain.

From consuming dry pre-workout (which could induce a heart attack), to the penny challenge where people drop coins onto a plugged-in but partially exposed charger. Because, yeah, that’s going to end well. Here are 7 of the most dangerous TikTok challenges to warn your kids about.

1. Dry Pre-Workout Challenge

In this challenge, people are supposed to consume a scoop of pre-workout dry. First off, who the fuck wants to eat something that has the texture of sand? Second, due to the massive amount of caffeine you’re putting directly into your system, you risk messing with your blood pressure and going into cardiac arrest. Oh, and of course, you could definitely choke on it.

2. The Penny Drop Challenge

In this challenge, people are plugging a charger into an outlet but leaving part of the metal prongs exposed. They then drop a penny and hope to see a spark. Live electricity involving a metal conductor–what could possibly go wrong? Except maybe, instead of sparks, you cause a full-blown fire. Stop the madness.

3. The Blackout Challenge

“Amherst teen dies after attempting viral ‘blackout challenge’” — Boston.com

This challenge isn’t anything new but is just as deadly as it’s always been. People choke themselves or restrict their airflow long enough to cause themselves to blackout. Its goal is to reach a state of euphoria right before passing out. However, when you deprive your brain of oxygen too long, you can cause brain damage or even death. For the love of all that is holy, ride a damn rollercoaster if you want an adrenaline rush.

4. Facewax Challenge

I left behind waxing my eyebrows years ago because of how irritated my skin would get. Pain is not beauty, ladies. But maybe, pain is entertainment? In this challenge, a person will let someone else cover their entire face and neck in hot wax and then rip it off. Why?!

In addition to making no logical sense, the hot wax in this challenge can damage sensitive skin on and around your eyes, nose, and ears–yes, you read that right. People are voluntarily risking blocking their airways or having hardened wax surgically removed from places wax should never be.

5. Nutmeg Challenge

Pumpkin pie, french toast, cake donuts, all of these recipes call for a reasonable amount of nutmeg. Do you know what isn’t a reasonable use for nutmeg–ingesting it to impress followers on TikTok and hallucinate. In this challenge, people consume straight nutmeg, mixed with their liquid of choice, and drinking it to get high. Worst-case scenarios can lead to coma or even death. For fuck’s sake, pick up a hobby if you have nothing better to do, but please don’t ruin nutmeg for the rest of us.

6. Cereal Challenge

This next challenge isn’t just dangerous, it’s downright disgusting. This challenge takes two to complete the jackassery. One of you lies down on your back and opens your mouth while the other person pours cereal and milk your mouth. Is that weird? Yes, but it’s about to get even stranger. The person remaining upright then proceeds to eat the cereal out of the other person’s mouth. Who the hell comes up with this stuff? What is the point? Aren’t you afraid of choking? If you really wanted to share every gross germ in your mouth with someone else, just play 7 minutes in heaven.

7. Skull Breaker Challenge

Sadly, this challenge has made headlines over and over. From concussions to death, the skull breaker challenge is, without a doubt, the most deadly challenge on this list. It involves three people lined up, and the person in the middle is supposed to jump as high as they can while the other two people kick their feet out from under them. If there had to be a point to this challenge, I’d imagine it’s to embarrass the middle person when they crash to the floor. Instead of just being embarrassed, these people are suffering head trauma. Honestly, I don’t even have a joke for this one. Don’t attempt it for the followers or for the accolades–full stop.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the dangerous challenges circulating on TikTok, but they are videos to be aware of that are causing concern to parents and health professionals alike. While TikTok is being used in more constructive, not life-threatening ways, it’s important to be aware of the potential dangers that come with new challenges making their rounds on social media.

To all, you TikTokers out there, if you see a challenge or video that looks interesting and you want to try it out, do your research. After all, you have the world-wide-web at your fingertips. Ask yourself, will this cause me harm? Is this dangerous? WWMBT (What would my boss think?), because after all, once it’s on the internet, it’ll be there forever.