TikTok is famous for its ability to connect millions of people together through user-made challenges that turn into trends, but some of these challenges are more dangerous than users let on.
For a teenager in Portland, Oregon, one TikTok challenge went badly wrong after she suffered third-degree burns attempting to copy a video she saw, reported KATU.
Thirteen-year-old Destini Crane was interested in videos with special effects, according to her sister, Andrea.
"She really likes things that look like they're underwater or things with fire in them. It looks cool," Andrea said.
A video Destini saw on her TikTok showed a shape drawn on a mirror with alcohol and lit on fire, which the teenager apparently attempted to replicate.
According to KATU, her mother, Kimberly, recalled that her daughter had screamed from the bathroom.
"I was in the living room when she screamed my name and opened the bathroom door. Her body was on fire."
Kimberly reported that her daughter would be in the hospital for at least two more months, having suffered third-degree burns on her neck, chest, stomach and arm.
Andrea said that the trends her sister likes are ones "under the radar," which proved to be quite dangerous. "They're not TikTok trends that everyone knows about," she said.
Kimberly told KATU that the parental controls she has on her 13-year-old daughter's phone still weren't enough to protect her from these videos, and she blames the users who create the content for influencing kids with dangerous stunts like this one.
"They're not thinking about how these young kids are doing the same thing they're doing and getting hurt doing it," Kimberly said.
Other TikTok trends have put some children's lives at risk. In England, an 11-year-old boy was rushed to a hospital and nearly died after swallowing five magnetic balls in a potential TikTok trend.
And in April, a 12-year-old boy died after taking part in the "blackout challenge," a trend where users film themselves asphyxiating until they pass out, and then post it online. This challenge has been related to a number of deaths and injuries all over the world, taking place in a similar manner.
A TikTok spokesperson earlier this week told Newsweek that "keeping our community safe is our top priority and a responsibility we take incredibly seriously."
"We do not allow content that encourages, promotes, or glorifies dangerous behaviour that might lead to injury. But there is no finish line for our teams. We continue to evolve our policies and invest heavily in our people and technology to help keep our community safe."
Newsweek reached out to TikTok for additional comment.
