Dangerous Social Media Trends Parents Should Know

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Every day, billions of people around the world log onto their social media accounts on their phones, computers and other devices. 

It connects us and keeps us up to date with the latest news and trends, but there is a dark side to social media.

It’s been over a year since a 15-year-old died while subway surfing, riding on top of a moving train.

New York’s Transit authorities say between 2018-2023, at least 10 suspected subway surfers were killed.

Subway surfing isn’t the only dangerous trend on social media. A Massachusetts teen died after participating in the One Chip Challenge. 

In 2021, a nine-year-old girl from Milwaukee died after taking part in a “Blackout Challenge.”

While not every trend is deadly, some like drinking “blackout rage gallon” or “BORGs” encourage risky behavior.

The American Psychological Association explains that social media can be especially harmful to teenagers because “adolescence is a period of heightened susceptibility to peer influence, impressionability.”

Following her son’s death, Norma Nazario filed a lawsuit against TikTok, its parent company ByteDance, Meta and the MTA.

She also started advocating for legal changes to social media regulations so another child, like her son, won’t lose their life to a dangerous trend.