 A young boy from the UK dies after reportedly attempting the viral TikTok blackout challenge. This recent headline left the world heartbroken and made parents all over the world scared for their children. If you don't know, certain acts done on social media are deemed challenges. Then those challenges turn into trends to record yourself doing. Those who enjoy scrolling through TikTok have heard of the Skullbreaker challenge and Penny challenge. We also had to bowing, planking, the mannequin challenge and now the blackout challenge. The blackout challenge also known as the choking game is when you choke yourself to the point of unconsciousness. These viral challenges may seem like a game but they actually represent individuals putting their safety at risk for likes, clicks and views. While social media platforms do the best they can to avoid responsibility. We can't help but wonder how can they let this happen? Let's take a look at the psychology behind these challenges to raise awareness about this widespread problem. As much fun as the challenge might sound there are a lot of psychological reasons you should stop to think about the next social media challenge you attempt. Let's check them out. Number one, misestimation of norms. Behavioral scientist Dr. Gretchen Brian Measles explains that puberty is the time when a child's mind is transitioning into an adult. As they go through different mental and emotional states they're trying to understand what's normal and want to know if they're normal too. They wanna fit in just like anyone else. So when they scroll through their feed and see 20 posts of other people on TikTok doing the Kylie Jenner lip challenge they might think to themselves, wow, everyone's doing it so I must do it too to fit in. Everyone else is doing it so this must be normal. They completely skip over the fact that too much suction in a small area could be harmful to you. Number two, FOMO. FOMO or fear of missing out is the anxiety we feel when we're excluded from pleasurable and rewarding experiences. Studies have shown that this fear is on the rise in today's society due to having their own personal magic mirror to see what everyone is doing at the moment, their phones. A 2020 research paper published in journal social media and society suggests that this fear plays a role in social media use in teenagers which can unfortunately evolve into full blown internet addiction. If they miss one post, one new trend, one new picture, they might be out of the loop and missing out on what everyone else is experiencing. In a study published in human factors in healthcare researchers wanted to examine the motivation behind practicing in dangerous TikTok challenges. One asked, teens who participated in the study mentioned the fear of missing out as one of the motivating factors. When they see trending challenges they might feel like they're missing out on the fun. In reality, they're so preoccupied with that FOMO that they ignore safety and the common knowledge of what can harm human beings. Do you think encouraging more face-to-face interaction could help teens combat FOMO on social media? Share with us in the comments below. Number three, belonging. Brittany Morris, a licensed clinical social worker from Virginia says that children and teens are most susceptible to these dangerous challenges because of the need for belonging. She explains how in those early teen and adolescent years kids desire to be accepted by others. By connecting with their friends they're also discovering their identities based on good or bad peer feedback. Generally, it's a great thing for teens to have a healthy group of friends but sometimes while hanging out they actually have a bad influence on each other. A 2017 research study published in journal sexual and relationship therapy suggests that adolescents find it more difficult to control impulsive behaviors if they're with their peers or if high emotions are involved. Authors also mentioned that social media has the power to influence a teen's decision-making skills by connecting them to their peers. So when their friends participate in such challenges they wanna feel like they belong to the group. When they feel like they belong they feel good about themselves. Being a part of a group can actually be positive and healthy for an adolescent or teen. Do you think there's a way to encourage healthy socializing on social media? Number four, thumbs up. Another important reason is, of course, popularity. Who doesn't wanna feel liked by thousands of people? We shouldn't judge them for wanting to be popular. Popularity is what brings together all of the reasons we mentioned earlier. Feeling like they belong, like they're accepted and appreciated. A 2016 study in the journal psychological science found adolescents were more likely to like popular photos as opposed to those with only a few likes. Even if they depicted risky behaviors the same goes with viral challenges too. The more likes a video gets the more likely they'll be to try it themselves. If they went viral, so can I. How can parents and schools work together to help children build confidence and self-acceptance so they don't look for validation online? And number five, the judgment-making area. It's important to note the biological perspective as well. Teenage and children's veins are still developing. For that reason they don't have the full capacity to really understand the risks that these challenges pose. Clinical psychologist and mental health quality consultant Dr. Desiree Dudley explains that the prefrontal cortex, which is a decision and judgment-making portion of the brain is not fully developed in these young people. That's why they have a harder time considering all the factors that are involved in these challenges than they're unable to make a sound decision. Fancy leggings are one thing. Ignoring common knowledge and personal safety for the approval and acceptance of others, that's a whole different ballgame, one that we hope you consider sitting out of. Do you think there are some other reasons behind these horrible and dangerous trends? Let us know your thoughts. Please share this video with someone who would benefit from it, like a parent, teacher, or even young teen. If you notice the child's internet use is becoming problematic, please consider talking to a mental health professional for additional reading resources and tools to help your child. Feel free to visit links in the description. Let's raise awareness together to help prevent more young lives from leaving us too soon.