A stupid TikTok challenge has claimed the life of a 12-year-old black boy. The family of the child has now dropped this warning.
On March 22 the 12-year-old boy, Joshua Haileyesus, was found unconscious after choking himself for a TikTok challenge called the “Blackout Challenge”. Joshua’s family produced a GoFundMe page to help cover the hospital bills and funeral charges, and according to the page, “We would like to update everyone that this evening, after fighting the good fight on life support for 19 days, Joshua has gone off to be with the Lord.”
On the 12-year-olds passing TikTok has since commented, responding to Associated Press, “At TikTok, we have no higher priority than protecting the safety of our community, and content that promotes or glorifies dangerous behavior is strictly prohibited and promptly removed to prevent it from becoming a trend on our platform.”
For those people that don’t know, the “blackout challenge” has been around for some time, but due to the discoverability on TikTok, the test lately has gained popularity. It seems people are challenged to choke themselves until they pass out.
The family of Joshua has inscribed on the GoFundMe page, “We are also concerned for other families who like ourselves, may not be aware of the existence of the Blackout Challenge and others like it. We urge the community to spend awareness about Joshua and the real risks involved in not knowing what kinds of activities children are involved in.”