About

The Pause Challenge or the Freeze Challenge refers to a social game in which someone commands the other to freeze or pause wherever they are. The challenge is typically recorded and uploaded to Vine, YouTube, or TikTok.

Origin

Although the exact origin of the Pause Challenge is unknown, on May 2nd, 2018, YouTuber cesartop uploaded a Vine compilation of friends performing the Freeze Challenge (shown below). The challenge involves someone commanding "freeze" instead of "pause."

Spread

On July 19th, 2018, Jackson O'Doherty uploaded a freeze challenge video to YouTube which quickly went viral and gained over 4.5 million views and 67,000 likes in a year (shown below, left). On July 27th, YouTube channel Viral Trends uploaded a Vine freeze challenge compilation which gained over 205,000 views and 2,200 likes in a year (shown below, right).

On October 31st, Facebook users Woody & Kleiny uploaded a video titled "The 'Pause' Challenge" which gained over 37 million views in seven months. The challenge involves using a remote control to "pause" their friend (shown below).

On May 14th, 2019, PewDiePie uploaded a video titled "PAUSE challenge, Exposed not happy" (shown below). The video which reviews YouTuber Morgz's "pause" challenge video gained over 3.7 million views and 292,000 likes in a day.

Various Examples