‘Challenge threat’ on social media spreads in Türkiye: Experts

ISTANBUL

Recent "challenge" trends on social media, which push children to compete and display power over themselves and each other and sometimes result in deaths and serious injuries around the world, have also spread among children in Türkiye, experts have warned.

As social media usage has trickled down to younger ages, children are now spending their time on popular platforms like Instagram and TikTok. As a part of this, they tend to participate some viral trends inviting and encouraging people to partake in some dangerous challenges. The "How long can you hold your breath" challenge on TikTok, used by millions, has tragically resulted in the deaths of 20 children globally over the past 18 months.

Though the trend has not yet resulted in a death in Türkiye, serious injuries have been reported as a result of these challenges on social media.

In a recent incident, 11-year-old F.K.K. in the eastern province of Muş was seriously injured while trying to replicate a “cologne burning" video on social media, narrowly escaping death.

"Youth engage in competition even when playing on the streets, but lately, competition on social media is fostering inappropriate behaviors," said adolescent and child psychiatrist Veysi Çeri.

Stressing that this behavior is a reflection of children's need to prove themselves, he underscored the importance of creating a supportive family and social environment for children to build self-confidence.

Academic Ali Murat Kırık from Marmara University noted that social media usage has turned into an addiction in Türkiye, citing that children's daily phone usage sometimes exceeds that of adults.

"With 62 million users in the country, children's usage times are high, averaging over three hours per person. To combat addiction and enable control, parents should take precautions. Setting time limits and auto shutdown features on devices can limit screen time for children. Adding content filters can block access to inappropriate content," warned Kırık.

In the meantime, The Family and Social Services Ministry issued a similar warning, cautioning parents against “allowing children to be left alone in the digital world.”

The statement emphasized the potential negative effects of careless digital platform usage on children and informed parents about the necessity of safeguarding children from risky content and imparting privacy awareness.

The ministry stated that digital risk prevention and privacy education have been provided in kindergartens, day care centers and several schools, reaching a total of 35,550 individuals, including 15,329 staff members and 20,221 parents.