The Psychology of Complicated Social Media Challenges!

 "A young British youngster supposedly passes away after undertaking the trendy TikTok "blackout challenge"." The latest headline devastated the hearts of everyone and terrified parents for their kids.

The blackout challenge, commonly referred to as "the choking game," is merely one of several phenomena that are now taking over social media. Choking oneself till unconscious is what it entails. The "penny challenge" and "skull breaker challenge" are both known to TikTok users who like swiping through the app. These viral challenges may appear to be games, but they really show kids putting themselves in danger of electrocution, suffocation, or brain injuries.

Platforms try their best to evade accountability, but we can't help but question how this could possibly have happened.

We'll examine the psychology underlying these issues in this essay. We want to inform you about this prevalent issue and provide you with some insight into our kids' thinking. And we've got some questions for you to help you go even further into the subject and start a conversation!

1. A Wrong Estimate Of Norms

According to behavioural scientist Dr. Gretchen Brion-Meisels, puberty is the period when a child's mind begins to change into an adult. The world is so much more complicated for kids than it is for us adults, which may seem paradoxical. They are attempting to comprehend what is normal by going through challenging mental and emotional states, and they want to know if they are normal, too. They aspire to be like the majority.

Therefore they could think, "Wow, everyone's doing it, so I must do it too!" as they browse through their page and see 20 posts from other "popular kids" performing the Kylie Jenner lips challenge. They think it's quite natural to tackle the challenge since they see other people doing it.

What do you think—and how might social media be used to persuade kids that these difficulties are not "normal"?

2. FOMO

The anxiety we experience when we are left out of enjoyable and rewarding activities is known as FOMO. According to studies, this dread is particularly prevalent in modern culture. Teenagers tend to have a lot of anxiety about being disconnected from social media and their phones. According to a research article published in 2020, this anxiety affects kids' usage of social media, which can, regrettably, progress into full-fledged internet addiction.

In a study that was recently published in Human Factors in Healthcare, researchers looked at the drivers driving deadly TikTok problems. Teens who took part in the survey spoke about the fear of missing out as one of their driving factors when asked about it. They could feel left out of the excitement when they observe challenges that are now trendy. When in fact they are passing on a fad that might endanger their lives.

Could promoting in-person communication aid kids in overcoming FOMO on social media?

3. Belonging

"Children and teenagers are more prone to these perilous issues because of the urge for belonging," claims Brittany Morris, a licenced clinical social worker from Virginia. She emphasises how children want to be accepted by others during those early teen and adolescent years. By interacting with their pals, kids are also coming to terms with who they are depending on positive or negative peer input.

Having a solid circle of pals while you're a teenager is generally a good thing. But occasionally, when they hang around, they really have a negative affect on one another. According to a 2017 study, teenagers may find it harder to restrain impulsive behaviours while around their friends or when strong emotions are present. The ability of social media to link teenagers to their peers can also have an impact on their ability to make decisions, according to authors.

They therefore want to feel like a member of the group when their buddies take on such difficulties. Because people feel good about themselves when they feel like they belong.

Do you believe there is a method to promote positive social interaction on social media?

4. The Realm Of Judgement

The biological perspective should also be taken into consideration, in the end. The brains of adolescents and young children are still growing and maturing. They are therefore not fully able to comprehend the hazards that these problems provide.

According to clinical psychologist and mental health quality consultant Dr. Desreen N. Dudley, PsyD, "the prefrontal cortex, which is a part of the brain responsible for making decisions and making judgments, is not completely matured in these young people. Because of this, individuals find it more difficult to weigh all the relevant variables in these difficulties, which prevents them from coming to a wise conclusion.

Do you think social media has an impact on our ability to think critically?