A worrying number of Instagram, TikTok challenges are harming children

Even those parents who don’t make their children cry for “likes,” upload videos of their most emotional moments online.

Risky challenges that trend on social networks are not new. While in some cases, they were self-imposed – like the ‘Milk Crate Challenge’ where users fell off stacked boxes - other such challenges are inflicted on young children who never asked to be involved.

One recent example is the viral ‘Egg Crack Challenge’ where adults call their unsuspecting children to the camera under the pretext of cooking or baking with them, only to break an egg on their forehead. Older children sometimes see the joke, but toddlers often end up crying or screaming in pained shock. The footage is then uploaded on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

The ‘Egg Crack Challenge’ was immediately criticised by parents who claimed it would teach children that violence was an acceptable part of play. Others noted it could damage children’s trust in adults, make them unwilling to spend time with family, or even harm their relationship with food.

Sometimes, even those parents and guardians who don’t make their children cry for “likes,” upload videos of their wards’ most vulnerable and emotional moments on social media. There can be many well-intentioned reasons for this, such as showing other parents how to gently comfort a toddler throwing a tantrum, or even capturing a child’s comedic reason for crying - like wanting some extra dessert.

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The viral nature of such posts can result in viewers making extremely personal remarks, criticising both the parent and the child, laughing at the crying child, and even promoting violence.

Children could feel betrayed by parents who post about them in spite of being asked not to, warned neonatologist and paediatrician Prathap Chandra.