Social media can open up a world of possibilities. Discover new places, learn cooking recipes, makeup tips and help us with routine tasks. But dangers also lurk behind the screens, especially when the users of the networks are children and young people who, out of curiosity and in search of new things, end up participating in challenges that put their lives in danger.
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Since 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified “dangerous games” as a behavioral disorder in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). According to the entity, these challenges are characterized by “a pattern of online or offline gaming that significantly increases the risk of adverse mental or physical health consequences.”
From 2014 to 2025, at least 56 children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 died in Brazil because of difficulties shared on social networks. The data comes from the DimiCuida Institute and is based on cases reported in the press or on families who contact civil society organizations dedicated to this subject. The data was released in April this year.
In one case this year, Tiegan Jarman, 13, was found unconscious in her bedroom in the town of Thurmaston, Leicestershire, England, on March 6. According to the family, the death was linked to a practice known as “chroming”, which involves inhaling toxic fumes from household products, such as deodorants, in search of a momentary effect. Her stepfather, Rob Hopkin, said there was no way of knowing if Tiegan had ever done this before, but confirmed she had used at least one can of deodorant on the day of the incident. The young woman’s father only did one thing to try to raise awareness among children and adolescents.
A similar case occurred in Brazil, in Pernambuco, also in March this year. An 11-year-old girl inhaled aerosol deodorant and was rescued, but suffered cardiopulmonary arrest on the way to the hospital and did not survive. What could have seemed like a joke was motivated by a challenge shared on social media. According to information from the family, who lives in Bom Jardim, in Agreste de Pernambuco, they had already been warned of the risks, but they still kept this habit.
In May, a 19-year-old man died after participating in a game that became a social media challenge. Ryan Satterthwaite was playing with friends in the New Zealand town of Palmerston North when, after being knocked down, he suffered serious head injuries. He was taken to hospital, but did not survive.
With his friends he played the game Run It Straight, in which two people run towards each other and collide halfway, as can happen in a rugby or football match. The difference, and the main danger, is that participating in what appears to be a game is done without the necessary protective equipment and physical preparation available to athletes.
The spicy chip eating challenge was one of the ‘trends’ that had become dangerous and was blamed for killing 14-year-old Harris Wolobah in Massachusetts, US in September 2023. The ‘One Chip Challenge’ involves eating a tortilla made with some of the hottest peppers in the world. According to an autopsy report released last year, which was part of the investigation into what happened, the cause was cardiac arrest.
Created by the American brand Paqui, the product had an annual update of the peppers used in its formula and had a coffin as packaging. Since 2016, when the challenge began, it has mainly attracted teenagers.
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