
‘SKULL BREAKER’ CHALLENGE GOING VIRAL ON TIKTOK IS DANGEROUS, DOCTORS WARN
The overwhelming majority of the individuals are cackling away whereas the movies file, however there have already been a number of documented accidents stemming from these challenges. One mother in Arizona shared photographs of her son in a hospital mattress with a head damage and stitches after his toes had been kicked out from below him and he landed on his again and head.
So why do teenagers seemingly overlook the dangers concerned in taking part in these challenges? One knowledgeable mentioned it has to do with mind growth.
“Adolescents are in a stage of their growth the place peer relationships and suggestions is essential to them,” Dr. Nicole Beurkens, a scientific psychologist and ambassador to Qustodio, advised Fox Information. “They’re additionally coping with extra advanced social interactions at a time when their prefrontal cortex (the a part of the mind liable for higher-level considering, determination making and impulse management) shouldn’t be but absolutely developed. This mix of excessive want for optimistic social suggestions and never but absolutely developed impulse management make them extra prone to have interaction in these sorts of challenges.”
Beurkens mentioned the teenagers additionally fail to issue within the potential penalties of the dangers they’re keen to take in an effort to full the problem.
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“They are usually extra ‘within the second’ thinkers, versus contemplating the longer-term penalties of their habits,” she mentioned. “There’s additionally one thing known as the optimism bias that causes individuals to consider that unhealthy issues gained’t occur to them. Even teenagers who know the doubtless harmful penalties of doing a problem like this could fall prey to the defective considering that ‘it gained’t occur to me.’”
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To keep away from potential catastrophic damage to your youngster or their buddies, Beurkens recommends discussing the challenges and dangers concerned overtly with their teenager earlier than it’s too late.
“Pay attention to what your youngsters are doing on social media and the sorts of issues they’re doing,” she mentioned, suggesting that social media monitoring applications, like Qustodio, encourage a partnership between dad or mum and youngster to make sure protected use.
“Discuss usually about what they see and listen to different youngsters doing, and the way you are feeling they usually really feel about that,” she mentioned. “Present details about the hazards of those sorts of challenges and what they’ll do in the event that they encounter a scenario the place they really feel strain to take part in one thing like this.”