The Blackout Challenge

Content Warning: The following entry contains graphic material.

About

The Blackout Challenge, sometimes called the Choking Challenge, refers to a life-threatening internet challenge in which users asphyxiate themselves to gain a massive headrush or blackout. Italian authorities determined that the challenge was responsible for leaving a 10-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy dead in Italy in January of 2021 after going viral on TikTok. The challenge should not be attempted.

Origin

The Blackout Challenge has trended on other social media sites and around schoolyards in the past under alternate names, including "the choking game," and "the pass out challenge." On October 18th, 2007, for example, WLWT^[11] reported on a teacher allowing the game to go around a school (shown below, left). On September 6th, 2016, CBS New York uploaded a report on the choking game making a return to schoolyards via social media to YouTube^[12] (deleted).

It's unknown when The Blackout Challenge began, who began it, and when it began spreading on TikTok, with videos of people performing the challenge impossible to find on the platform. By searching, "blackout challenge" on TikTok, the user receives a notice that the term has been banned for violating guidelines (shown below).

The ANSA^[1] report detailing the first death due to the challenge claims, "The Blackout Challenge, and a milder variant called the Passout Challenge, have been circulating on TikTok over the last year" insinuating the challenge started in 2020.

Spread

On January 21st, 2021, Italian news service ANSA^[1] reported that a 10-year-old girl was in critical condition after tying a belt around her neck to perform The Blackout Challenge for a TikTok video. Later that day, ANSA^[3] reported her brain dead.

The girl's death received widespread media attention, with outlets including CTV News,^[4] HuffPost,^[5] and PopBuzz^[6] reporting on the incident and trend over the next week. On January 22nd, HITC^[10] published a piece describing how to report users performing The Blackout Challenge if seen.

Following the incident, users began uploading videos discussing the tragic death and warning against the challenge under the hashtags #blackoutchallenge and #hangingchallenge (examples shown below).^[7][8] On January 22nd, Reuters^[9] reported that the Italian government ordered TikTok to delete all Italian user accounts under the age of 13. On January 25th, Loop^[2] reported that a 9-year-old boy in Italy was found dead in his family home after attempting the Blackout Challenge.

Hoax Speculation

Some users doubt the existence of the challenge, as no videos have surfaced showing anyone on TikTok performing it (examples shown below, left and right). There is no concrete evidence to support this claim, and it is likely the videos were simply removed by TikTok. In 2021, a spokesperson for TikTok reportedly said, "This disturbing ‘challenge,’ which people seem to learn about from sources other than TikTok, long predates our platform and has never been a TikTok trend."^[18]

Death of Nylah Anderson

On May 17th, 2022, the Washington Post^[13] reported that the mother of a 10-year-old girl who died trying the Blackout Challenge was suing TikTok. According to the article, she found her daughter hanging in the closet and attempted CPR on her and she was rushed to the hospital but died five days later. She filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against TikTok, calling the app "a predatory and manipulative app" that pushes "exceedingly and unacceptably dangerous challenges." ABC Philadelphia reported on the story that month (shown below).

Death of Archie Battersbee

On June 10th, 2022, Mirror^[14] reported that a 12-year-old boy, Archie Battersbee, had been in an induced coma for eight weeks and is likely brain dead according to doctors. His parents believe he was attempting the Blackout Challenge. The article details how doctors want to take Battersbee off life support but the parents do not, resulting in a court battle. On June 13th, Sky News reported on the story (shown below). On August 6th, the New York Times^[15] reported that Battersbee died after being removed from life support after judges in Britain determined that the boy had no hope of recovery.

Death of Leon Brown

On September 1st, 2022, the Daily Record^[16] reported that 14-year-old Leon Brown of Cumbernauld, Scotland, had died while allegedly attempting the challenge. According to Brown's mother Lauryn, the boy was on Facetime with friends while attempting the challenge. One of the kids who was on the call told her that he was attempting the Blackout Challenge after he saw it on TikTok. A GoFundMe^[17] page was started to support the family.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References