From Ice Buckets To Actual Fire: The Craziest Internet Challenges Gone Viral
Written by
Nneka Samuel
Published on
May 12, 2016
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Internet challenges are all the rage. Not only do they go viral in no time flat, it seems like a new Internet challenge pops up every other week…and is featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Some of them – okay, most of them – are absolutely silly; something teens do while goofing off with friends. Others were invented to raise money for charity. And some challenges are downright dangerous and absurd (I’m especially looking at you, corn drill challenge). Here is a look at a few Internet challenges and dance craze videos gone viral.
The Running Man Challenge
Toss everything you know about the running man aside for this challenge. Started by teenagers Kevin Vincent and Jerry Hall and made popular by University of Maryland students and basketball players Jared Nickens and Jaylen Brantley, the running man challenge…well, it’s kind of hard to describe. Take a look at one of the videos that went viral and see for yourself what it’s all about.
The good news that came out of this silly challenge? Kylie Jenner finally admitted that she had lip injections. But people went out of their way to mimic her artificial, doctor-crafted lips by placing their kissers in a glass (or bottle) and sucking the air out of it, creating temporarily plump lips. My word.
What could possibly go wrong if you swallow a teaspoon or tablespoon of ground cinnamon? Just watch GloZell’s video, seen over 48 million times. Hopefully, it will serve as a cautionary tale.
A supposed fitness test (really?), with the belly button challenge you put an arm behind your back and try to reach it around to your belly button. If you can manage to successfully complete the challenge, you’re supposedly just the right size (i.e., “skinny” or “fit”). This body shaming challenge gets a major side-eye.
After being wrapped in duct tape, the goal of this challenge is to try to free yourself from its sticky grasp. One Seattle, Washington teenager underwent surgery after he crushed his cheekbones and left eye socket while doing the challenge. He also suffered bleeding from his brain and ended up needing 48 stitches. His mother appeared on the Today show to talk about the challenge’s dangers.
This challenge gives the saying “feel the burn” a whole new meaning. You pour salt on your body, typically on your arm, and then rub that area with ice. This causes a burning sensation that you’re supposed to endure for the sake of the challenge.
