Viral trends have taken the internet by storm over the years, from planking and the Ice Bucket Challenge (which lead to a huge amount of money being raised for charity), through to Charli D'Amelio dance videos and the baked #fetapasta challenge! It's all happening and today, TikTok is the place to discover the most entertaining, bizarre and risky viral trends.

TikTok is a video sharing app where users can create and share videos on the platform. Here's a video from us explain what TiKTok's about for anyone who wants to learn more:

Nowhere mass produces viral trends quite like TikTok- there's a video for everyone, and trends are a way of grouping the most popular audio and hashtags. And while the majority of the videos on the app are light hearted fun, there are some concerning and even dangerous trends which parents should be aware of. Here are some that we're hearing lots about at Digital Awareness UK.‍

Viral TikTok trends

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Pass the Phone
‍This trend involves someone introducing a friend with an embarrassing or unappealing quality. For example, one person might say "I'm passing the phone to someone who doesn't have any mates", then revealing that person who may also respond. To this date, #passthephone has had over 120.5 million views on TikTok, and while the majority are nothing more than a bit of creative fun, we're also told that some are intended to become abusive and reveal personal information. ‍

Who’s the Drunkest
‍Groups of friends declare who they think will get the drunkest on TikTok. Currently, 9.3 million people have watched this hashtag on TikTok. Like the pass the phone challenge, individuals introduce their friends by naming them as the ones to get the drunkest. This is a concerning trend that could result in peer pressure and unwanted information or video footage being uploaded to the app.

‍Fire Challenge‍

Variations of challenges involving fire have been circulating for a while now. This new fire challenge consists of setting fire to shapes drawn with flammable liquid on a mirror. The challenge can cause serious physical harm. In fact, reports of this challenge going wrong are already coming in. A young teenager has ended up in hospital with third-degree burns after the stunt went wrong. ‍

Magnets Challenge
‍The magnet trend sees people mimicking a tongue piercing by placing two magnetic balls on either side of their tongue. Yes, it sounds harmless but enough young people have accidentally swallowed these magnets for the NHS to issue a safety alert about this trend. ‍

Dry Scoping
‍Simply put, dry scoping is swallowing protein powder or pre-workout supplements dry. Instead of mixing these powders with a liquid, people are taking to TikTok to show videos of themselves placing these supplements in their mouths. And if you think this sounds a whole lot like the cinnamon challenge, you would be right. But this challenge isn't fun and can cause serious physical harm. Large amounts of caffeine consumed quickly can lead to a fast and irregular heartbeat - this is a  very concerning trend.  In fact, one Tik Tok user and Only Fans creator had a heart attack after trying this trend. ‍

‍Three things to talk to young people about:

 1) Online Reputation: Online reputation has become increasingly important for young people. This is because your activities online can affect how people think of you, potential job prospects and more. So reminding young people to think before posting something, which may involve them or others in a compromising situation is essential. ‍

2) Peer Pressure: Unfortunately, peer pressure can affect young people both on and offline. Therefore, it's important to discuss ways to spot and manage peer pressure, such as anticipating situations and talking them through how they could respond. ‍

3) Reporting: Reporting is one of the most important ways your child can take positive action when something is wrong. For example, if they see something online that makes them feel uncomfortable, it's crucial that they know they can report the content through the social media app or search engine. But reporting doesn't have to take place online - your child can report upsetting content to a trusted adult.

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