Top 10 Most Dangerous Internet Challenges

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#10: Kylie Jenner Challenge

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With her wildly successful lip kits, reality star Kylie Jenner requires little introduction. Her enviable pout has been a subject of seemingly perpetual discussion dating back to 2014, but according to KnowYourMeme.com, it was in 2015 that the shot glass lip plumping technique was introduced as a way to emulate her look. Basically… you suction your lips into a shot glass, and they come out super swollen and puffy. Following a popular tweet by Alex Ramos, tagged #kyliejennerchallenge, this odd practice really took off, spawning countless imitators. Thing is… you’re hurting your lips. Bruising and torn skin are very real potential repercussions, and doctors warning of possible permanent damage. That and… Jenner ultimately confessed to using temp lip fillers.

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#9: Ghost Pepper Challenge

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For those of you unfamiliar with this particular challenge, allow us to explain. You’re basically subjecting yourself to extreme gastrointestinal discomfort by consuming one of the world’s hottest peppers, the ominously named “ghost pepper.” Also known as the bhut jolokia, its heat is measured at over a million scovilles. For perspective, jalapenos come in at just 1,000 to 20,000. Since 2011, this challenge has been inducing vomiting, severe sweating, and, in an extreme case involving ghost pepper puree, resulting in a 23 day hospitalization.

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#8: Salt & Ice Challenge

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Salt lowers the freezing point of water, and thus works effectively to melt ice. While it is amazing for de-icing the driveway, the ensuing chemical reaction isn’t something you should be making contact with, as it can quickly reach temperatures as low as 0 to -18 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the ratio of salt to ice. The concept of holding ice to skin that’s been covered in salt to see how long you can stand the pain can be traced back to 2006, but in 2017, the challenge experienced a resurgence in popularity. The potent mixture has reportedly resulted in second and third degree burns.

This is one of the more seemingly harmless challenges on our list, but, depending on how the effort plays out, it can easily result in some of the most unpleasant complications. It’s a seemingly simple concept: just swallow a spoonful of ground cinnamon without the assistance of water. Sounds easy, right? But it’s not. The cinnamon quickly absorbs all the moisture in your mouth, making it nearly impossible to swallow. That’s where things can get messy, as the body’s natural reaction is to cough, and quite possibly… inhale. This can result in respiratory problems, collapsed lungs, and pneumonia, and has the potential to be fatal.

Why...? WHY?! This is perhaps one of these dumbest challenges on our list, as it literally consists of people snorting a variety of physical objects up into their nasal cavities. That’s right, as if snorting household powdered substances, like wasabi or salt isn’t bad enough… this particular challenge gained notoriety for involving malleable objects, like string or balloons. The most popular snortable item however? A condom. Starting in the mid-2000s but going viral in the 2013, it saw teens posting videos of themselves snorting latex condoms up one nostril and then pulling it back out their mouths. Doctors have warned that these items could easily wind up blocking the airwaves, or working their way into the lungs.

This one requires little introduction, due to the extreme popularity it briefly experienced. Unlike many other challenges, planking isn’t inherently dangerous. After all, you’re just lying rigid like a plank. And in the early stages of its viral spread, most of the settings in which people planked were funny, and relatively safe. But in keeping with the typical progression of such challenges, the constant one upping soon had people planking in hazardous ways. Reaching peak popularity around 2011, planking claimed a life that same year, when a young man died in Australia, having fallen off of a seventh story balcony on which he was trying to plank.

Speaking of constantly one upping each other to dangerous end results… that’s literally what this challenge is all about. We highly suggest simply staying away from anything with “N-E-K” or “N-E-C” at the start of its name, as “necro” means “relating to a corpse or death.” And sure enough, this deadly game has claimed more than one life. Part drinking game, part viral online dare… the original goal was simply to chug some booze on camera, but it soon evolved to mean drinking in increasingly risky situations, or drinking and then doing some dangerous stunt. It’s been connected to at least 5 deaths.

Making their second appearance on our list, condoms, which protect millions of people from STIs and unwanted pregnancies, once again get dragged into a wildly dangerous viral challenge. Rather than being pulled into the respiratory system, this time, the condom is filled with water and dropped on an individual’s head. When it makes contact, it turns inside out over the face, and can block breathing through the nose and mouth when the condom seals around the neck or head. Though there have been no confirmed fatalities or hospitalizations, willingly cutting off your access to air is always a bad idea.

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#2: Car Surfing

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Some challenges are so blatantly ill-advised… it hurts to have to explain why they’re a bad idea. Car surfing is just what it sounds like: surfing on top of a moving car. In a move that must have three-pointed automobile seatbelt inventor Nils Bohlin rolling in his grave, young people around the world have taken to car roofs or the beds of pickup trucks in order to show off their balancing skills and bravery. The end result of this destructive fad has been countless injuries, and dozens of deaths. Though the activity predates viral internet content, the advent of social media has certainly kept it alive and well.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions
- Swatting

- The Warhead Challenge

- Eyeball Shots [aka Vodka Eyeballing]

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#1: Fire Challenge

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Just because you see it go smoothly for somebody on the internet, doesn’t mean that you should try it yourself. Because anyone who posted an injury-free video of themselves playing with fire, either got lucky or actually knew what they were doing. Sadly, however, the impressiveness of this particular challenge has caused many a user on YouTube to turn a blind eye to the obvious risks and to try it anyways. Basically, they cover a part of their body with a flammable liquid, and then set themselves on fire - often with disastrous results.