As Condom Challenge Resurfaces on YouTube, Teens Remind Us That They're Still Teens

As teens across the country took to the streets and showed their parents, teachers and elected officials that they are ready to take on the responsibilities of active citizenship by participating in marches against gun violence month, some teenagers have apparently just discovered the bizarre social media fad that's been triggering parental alerts for many years. That’s right, the Condom Challenge is back.

In case you don't remember, way back in the innocent days of 2012, back when we thought the world would be ending by the end of the year, a YouTuber named Issac Mathers uploaded a video entitled the “Condom Challenge.” As you might have guessed, the video features a brave young man, the future of America, snorting a condom up his nose and out his mouth.

Much like the Tide Pod Challenge, the Condom Challenge hits that sweet spot between the curiosity of a cat and downright "IDGAF" stupidity. If one misjudges and snorts the condom too hard, it can become lodged in the participants throat, causing them to choke and potentially die. It is then on the shoulders of paramedics, nursers and doctors to stand in the way of natural selection and remove the blockage.

As it is usually the case with teenagers trying edgy and stupid fads on the social media, what we’re left with is a new crop of local news reports featuring newscasters, talking head experts and parents, all utterly and helplessly confused. KMPH in San Antonio, Texas reported that a local education specialist held a seminar for parents about the dangers of these social games.

"Because these days our teens are doing everything for likes, views and subscribers," aid Stephen Enriquez, a state education specialist Enriquez. "As graphic as it is, we have to show parents because teens are going online looking for challenges and recreating them.

But the Condom Challenge is another in a longline of unfunny, stupid and dangerous challenges that kids convince their parents are all the rage, but, likely, very few are actually participating in. It’s a tale as old as time: Parents attend seminars, local news outlets produce segments and the memes start a flowing.

As many on Twitter were quick to joke over the last few months, the striking contrast of messages between the March for Our Lives and the Condom Challenge (or lack thereof) reveals the spectrum of the Millennial capacities for civic activism and nihilist stupidity in its full scale and true colors. But will they soon realize that a condom is best used for sex than snorting? More importantly, will the Condom Challenge tip the scales too far in the direction of more dumb challenges? Not likely. But buckle up for another round of sensational, alarmist news coverage about dumb thing kids are doing for the sole reason that it is stupid and they want to make their friends laugh.

Jan 2018: Tide Pod Challenge
Feb 2018: School Shooting awareness
March 2018: March For Our Lives advocating for gun control
April 2018: Condom Snorting Challenge

😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/ltbvnXsimb

— Darth Kane (@Kane_PLK) April 3, 2018

Parkland students: gun control now
Republicans: uhh like 5 people your age that are not you made a stupid tide pod eating challenge so I’m gonna go with no

— Courtney George (@courtneyclam) March 24, 2018

2018 Teen Challenge:

Eat a tide pod while snorting a condom holding a sign rallying for gun control.

— Shin_Duo (@Shin_Duo) April 3, 2018