Part of being young is exploring new things, being creative, and gaining new experiences. Thanks to the incredible growth of the internet, it is now possible to not only learn things with a click of a button but also to share these things with others like never before.
Unfortunately, a byproduct of this web of connectivity is that jokes and trends also spread quickly. These can often be harmless things – meant for laughter or raising awareness for a cause – but there are also people with much more sinister intentions.
When I was younger, we often had ‘sleepovers,’ where you would stay at a friend’s house with other children. It’s hardly a new phenomenon and remains popular among today’s youth.
However, alarming reports in the United States are now spreading about a new internet trend that takes place at events like sleepovers, which sounds as dangerous as it does plain foolish.
“The Hot Water Challenge”
We wrote about it not too long ago, but it seems that the ‘game’ shows no signs of waning popularity. It’s called “The Hot Water Challenge” and it often involves a group surprising one of their friends by pouring boiling water on them. It should go without saying that this has the potential to cause serious, sometimes life-threatening burns.
There are several clips on YouTube of people playing the game, challenging teenagers to see who can take the boiling water on their skin or even drink it. Sadly, it seems that the trend is particularly prevalent among younger ages.
Deaths and Serious Injuries
In August 2017, an 8-year-old girl in Florida died after drinking boiling water. An 11-year-old boy was also hospitalized after his friends poured a jug of water on him while he was asleep. Another teenager suffered horrible burns on his back after participating in the same trend.
Unfortunately, these cases are far from isolated. A 15-year-old boy, Nicholas Conrad, has posted a video on YouTube showing the burns he received after his friends poured boiling water on him while he was also asleep.
Nicholas explains in the video that his friends didn’t realize how hot the water was. Fortunately, he escaped with “only” bad burns. However, it could have been much worse. Nicholas revealed that the boys responsible are no longer his friends.
This is an extremely dangerous trend that all parents should be aware of. Help us by sharing this article to spread awareness of this alarming trend!
