The Internet is home to many interesting, yet disturbing, things. Whether you’re a YouTube fanatic or a celebrity crazed “wannabe,” the Internet is a common ground for all cyber users around the globe. People are always finding ways to take Internet content to an new level.
One of the newest obsessions, known as “challenges,” has swept social media sites. If you haven’t heard of them – which I will be shocked if you haven’t – they are videos of people pushing themselves to do an extreme act of some sort on the Internet.
I won’t lie; I’m guilty of watching a few of these videos, and even at times trying them out myself (the “Saltine Challenge” did not end well for me). But what warrants this snowball effect? What drives someone to eat a spoon full of cinnamon while videotaping themselves?
New challenges are constantly surfacing, and for some reason, society is infatuated with the idea of watching someone else hurt themselves just to get a solid laugh. Sometimes I feel bombarded with the latest Internet fads and I struggle to keep up.
I recently stumbled upon one that has completely changed my view on all Internet challenges: the “Condom Challenge.” Yes, you read that correctly.
This challenge has gone viral since the original video gained thousands of retweets on Twitter, and ever since, new videos are being posted everywhere trying to imitate the original.
The original video consists of two men filming themselves dropping a condom filled with water over their heads. If the condom is dropped just right, it will form a bubble of water around the face, looking similar to a fish bowl. Seems hilarious enough, but it has the potential to be dangerous.
Just like every Internet challenge, it will come and go, raising some laughs and social media attention, but this particular asinine task is more serious than many believe it to be. The “Condom Challenge” has raised health concerns, especially after a 17-year-old girl was pronounced dead after attempting the challenge in her Texas home.
A condom is not a water balloon or a toy and should never be used as one. So please, let’s stick to using condoms the old fashion way. And no, that does not mean going back to the first version of this challenge where you snort the condom.
