Every so often, a new hashtag hits the internet and takes the world by storm. They’re unpredictable and just tend to happen on their own. They usually spread like wildfire on social media platforms, and people feel compelled to join the crowd. Whether they’re useful or not is something that’s difficult to answer, and these trends or challenges have often been the center of controversy. Even now, the #trashtag challenge is taking over the globe and has youngsters everywhere cleaning up garbage in their local areas which is definitely a good thing. However, not all challenges are so straightforward. Regardless, here are some of the most viral challenges to have taken place on the internet so far.
Tide Pods
It was back in 2012 when Tide Pods were released as detergent capsules that were meant to be used in laundry. However, there was a danger of them being misused by small children due to their bright and attractive colors which might have caused children to consume them. The Tide Pod challenge started gaining traction in 2017 when people started consuming Tide Pods and dared others to do the same. While the CPSC tried issuing warnings that the product might not be safe for children, they weren’t prepared for grown teenagers consuming the capsules and challenging others to do the same. While the challenge was seen in a humorous light, it cannot be denied that it was harmful to the health of the kids who consumed them. There have even been pictures of people putting Tide Pods on their pizzas before cooking them. Crazy, right?
Ice Bucket
The Ice Bucket challenge didn’t leave unscathed without any hate directed towards it, but it did have a good cause. The thought behind the challenge was to raise awareness for ALS, and it did a pretty good job of doing so. The challenge consisted of pouring a bucket of ice and cold water on top of oneself while filming the whole thing. The trend caught on strongly, and popular people, including Barack Obama, who was the president of the United States back then, took part in it. The challenge went on to produce over $115 million for the cause.
In My Feelings
The In My Feelings Challenge, also known as the Kiki challenge, is based on Drake’s song titled “In My Feelings”. It’s a rather odd one and seems to have started randomly without any goal behind it. While celebrities have taken part in it, the most popular version of the Kiki Challenge is to hop off a slowly moving vehicle and be filmed dancing while moving along with the vehicle – which now has an open door. Doing this has even posed security risks, with one woman losing her handbag due to theft while she was doing the Kiki Challenge.
Again, whether these challenges are good things is a topic that’s up for debate. However, what cannot be denied is how much influence they can have, especially on the young generation and how quickly they tend to get extremely popular.