What starts as fun and games on TikTok can sometimes spiral into something much darker. While most trends are harmless dances, recipes, or clever pranks, others have taken a disturbing turn, leading to broken bones, hospital stays, lawsuits, and, in the worst cases, lives lost.
From teens overdosing on allergy pills to friends lighting each other on fire, these viral “challenges” prove that farming internet points can come at a steep price.
Below are 19 TikTok challenges that went way too far, each one a sobering reminder that not everything trending is worth trying.
Let this be a stern reminder. Internet clout is never worth the health risk.
#1 Fractal Burning
Fractal Burning has become a popular crafting trend on social media platforms, including TikTok.
The Fractal Burning trend, or Lichtenberg wood burning, involves soaking wood in an electrolytic solution and passing high-voltage electricity through it to produce a ferning or ‘Lichtenberg’ pattern.
While Fractal Burning can produce aesthetically pleasing crafts, it is very dangerous. In 2020, the Oxford Academic Journal of Burn Care & Research tracked 625 fatalities that were related to Fractal Wood Burning.
Among the victims of Fractal Burning was a couple in Wisconsin, who ended up causing a fire due to a Fractal Burning attempt, and whose bodies were recovered in the remains of their home.
According to Inside Edition, investigators later determined that the couple passed away due to electrocution from fractal wood burning equipment.
Image credits: ResearchGate
#2 The Nyquil Chicken Challenge
The NyQuil Chicken Challenge is a dangerous social media trend that involves cooking chicken in NyQuil, a cold and flu medicine. The trend has been around for some time, but it also had a comeback on TikTok.
In response to the viral challenge, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a strong warning, calling the trend unappetizing and very unsafe.
As per the FDA, heating NyQuil can change the drug’s chemical makeup, turning it into a harmful vapor. Inhaling that vapor can irritate or even damage the lungs, according to MedStar Health.
Eating the cooked chicken poses other risks, as the NyQuil ingredients, such as acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and doxylamine succinate, can become dangerously concentrated. Thus, participants could risk experiencing nausea, poisoning, or worse.
Image credits: X/trjstn
#3 The Benadryl Challenge
@drbotanicalhealth The TRUTH about the Benadryl Challenge… #dr #drt #drbotanicalhealth #doctorsoftiktok #doctor #doctorreacts #tiktoktrend #doctorresponse #trending #thetruth #foryoupage #content #bernadryl #bernadryltrend #stupidtrend ♬ original sound - Dr Botanical Health
#4 The Door Kick Challenge
@nbcsouthflorida Florida deputies are warning parents about the “door kick challenge,” a viral trend where teens kick doors and fire airsoft guns before fleeing. #DoorKickChallenge #FloridaNews #TeenTrend #PoliceWarning #AirsoftGun #RingCamera #ViralPrank ♬ original sound - NBCSouthFlorida
#5 The One Chip Challenge
@aniyahlatorrrr ♬ Love You So - The King Khan & BBQ Show
#6 Choking Or Pass-Out Challenge
Closely related to the Blackout Challenge, the Choking or Pass-Out Challenge encourages participants to temporarily strangle themselves by restricting oxygen to the brain.
Similar to the other challenges on this list, the participants are often filmed for social media.
The Choking Challenge has been around for some time, too, with a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention way back in 2008 finding 82 children over a 12-year period passing away after playing the “Choking Game.”
According to The Conversation, about 87% of the participants of the Choking Game were reportedly male, and their average age was just 13 years old.
Image credits: SBT News
#7 The Fire Challenge
The Fire Challenge involves participants typically dousing their bodies in flammable liquids before igniting the flames. The videos are then posted on social media platforms such as TikTok in an attempt to go viral.
The trend has already led to serious injuries. According to CBS News, three teenagers were hospitalized in relation to the challenge.
In Houston, 14-year-old Michael Simonete suffered second-degree burns and was rushed to the hospital. At least one fatality linked to the challenge has also been reported.
Fire officials warn that the stunts are escalating, with participants using more hazardous fuels and exposing larger areas of their skin to flames.
“They're already looking at the sites, they're seeing the videos,” said Micki Trost of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. “We can't step back and pretend it's not out there.”
Image credits: Unsplash/KS KYUNG
#8 The Chroming Challenge
@haileyyymills #chroming ♬ original sound - hailey 🍄
#9 "The Clonazepam Challenge"
The “Last One to Fall Asleep Wins,” or the Clonazepam Challenge, is reportedly a TikTok trend where children take clonazepam, a sedative, and compete to stay awake despite the drowsiness the medication causes.
The challenge has reportedly sent multiple students to hospitals across Mexico, according to Mexico News Daily.
In one case, 15 primary school students at the Profesora María de Jesús López school fell ill after reportedly taking clonazepam. Four were hospitalized, while the others were treated on-site. The children were just 10 and 11 years old.
Mexico’s Ministry of Health, Cofepris, issued a warning about the challenge amid similar incidents that occurred in schools in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara. All cases involved minors misusing prescription medication.
A TikTok spokesperson, however, claimed that the Clonazepam Challenge never became a trend on the platform, according to a report from Rest of the World.
Image credits: Tiktok
#10 The Blue Whale Challenge
@aljazeeraenglish Was the Blue Whale Challenge a deadly game or a global hoax? . Uncover the truth on #TrueCrimeReports 📷 #news #game ♬ original sound - Al Jazeera English
#11 The Momo Challenge
@karipaolaa Do you guys remember the m0m0 challenge? #truecrime #truecrimekari #fyp #october #octobertiktok #halloween #scarystories #storyteller #makeupandstorytime #spooky #halloweenstories #truecrimedaily ♬ Trend de Terror - Staysee
#12 Tide Pod Challenge
@crownnjuless Don’t lie you’d eat one if you could #relatable #tidepod #tidepodchallenege ♬ original sound - jules
#13 Slender Man Stabbing
@charleybournetruecrime the slenderman photos always give me the creeps & even more-so now. #truecrime #truecrimecommunity #truecrimetiktok #truecrimetok #crimetiktok #truecrimeanytime #truecrimestory #truecrimetiktoks #crimetok ♬ Disturbing Suspense-Psychological Thriller (with drama)(890116) - CHROMA
#14 The Boat Jumping Challenge
@markthompson295 Last day of lake life jumping into the surf. #boat #bubblejump #mbboats ♬ Feels Like Summer - Samuel Jack
#15 The Blackout Challenge
The Blackout Challenge is a modern iteration of the old ‘choking game,’ which involves participants restricting oxygen to another person’s brain, often by self‑strangulation or breath‑holding. The challenge was intended to induce fainting.
Though the practice predates social media, it surged on TikTok around 2021, with numerous videos reportedly showing participants trying to pass out for fun and attention.
The dangers of the Blackout Challenge are notable, with several children and teens reportedly passing away due to the social media trend.
According to The Guardian, the families of four teens in Britain who tragically passed away due to self-suffocation from the “Blackout Challenge” filed lawsuits against TikTok.
The families alleged that the platform’s algorithm spread the content irresponsibly. TikTok, in its response, stated that searches for visas or hashtags related to the Blackout Challenge have been blocked since 2020.
Image credits: Tiktok
#16 Skull Breaker Challenge
@futurebombs This is one of the most horrible trends I’ve ever seen 💀 #wtf #trend #tiktok #fyp ♬ 13 Angels Standing Guard 'Round The Side Of Your Bed - Silver Mt. Zion
#17 The Penny Challenge
@futurebombs I wonder how many houses got burned down because of this insane TikTok challenge 🔥 #wtf #trend #tiktok #fyp ♬ 13 Angels Standing Guard 'Round The Side Of Your Bed - Silver Mt. Zion
#18 The Salt And Ice Challenge
@m0th.mushie It was salt and ice 🤯 #saltandicechallenge ♬ Comforting - n
#19 ‘Borg Challenge’ Or 'Black Out Rage Gallon'
@shhh.its.millie ST PADDYS DAY AT MIDD (I think I won) #borg #stpatricksday #darty ♬ original sound - Millie Boardman
