It's dangerous and downright dumb. Social media’s latest online challenge is heating up in what’s being called The Hot Coil Challenge.
Those foolish enough to participate press their bare skin to the red hot coils on a stovetop, suffering severe burns as a result. And then, of course, they post the proof to YouTube.
“I hope that my kids are smart enough to know that that’s not a great choice. Even if someone dared them I would hope that they would choose not to do that,” mom Jennifer Harding said.
The challenge is receiving increasing criticism. Others posting videos mocking it, urging people not to participate.
It’s just the latest in a laundry list of dangerous online challenges posed towards impressionable children.
Who could forget the disgusting Tide pod challenge? It sent teens to the hospital for everything from chemical burns to extreme vomiting.
Then there was the 3am challenge. Kids were waking up in the middle of the night, in some cases leaving their houses, to find something scary and post to social media.
Child counselor Eric Goldfield said it’s critical for parents to talk to their kids about this stuff.
“The biggest role models right now for teens and young people are YouTubers. These are who our kids are looking up to, and they’re going to want to emulate that behavior.”