Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

TikTok skull-breaker challenge - sick or what???

61 replies

filka · 17/02/2020 07:18

We have just received the following message from our school. We are not in the UK but this thing is spreading on TikTok so it is potentially everywhere. I am shaking like a leaf seeing this.

Quote:
It has been brought to our attention that there is a very dangerous and undesirable activity among young people around the world at the moment, called the ‘Skull Breaker Challenge.’

Essentially this involves three people, who begin to jump up and down and then two of them kick the legs away from the other causing her or him to fall onto either their back, neck or head. I am sure you can understand how extremely dangerous and reckless this is. To make matters worse, the children use their telephones to video this and then post it on social media.

I am imploring you to talk to your children about this and insist that they never carry out such an activity anywhere and we will be doing the same.
If any student(s) of our school are found to be doing this, there will be the most serious of consequences applied to their poor choice of conduct and behavior.

I have attached a link so that you may view for yourself. Warning – graphic content
Unquote

OP posts:
AnnDaloozier · 17/02/2020 07:19

So what’s your point

MintImperials · 17/02/2020 07:21

If it’s true YANBU, if it’s another Momo thing and made up/ exaggerated YABU.
Yet another reason to pay attention to age limits on apps like Tik TOk and supervise what your kid does online

LangittleClegabbage · 17/02/2020 07:23

YANBU. I'm glad you've made me aware of this.

U2HasTheEdge · 17/02/2020 07:26

Thank you for posting this OP.

I wasn't aware of it.

PineappleDanish · 17/02/2020 07:26

Schools email to "make parents aware of this" -> parents talk to their unaware children about it -> children decide to give it a go -> it becomes a real problem.

Children should be told in general terms not to do stupid things that might hurt themselves or others. Common sense.

All these warnings about challenges and Momo or whatever are just overkill.

U2HasTheEdge · 17/02/2020 07:27

So what’s your point

Well, the point isn't hard to work out is it?

Saucery · 17/02/2020 07:28

Yeah, this went round a while ago. ‘Decking’ it was called then. No need for a moral panic, your dc should know not to act like a dickhead anyway.

Original poster
filka · 17/02/2020 07:32

@AnnDaloozier

perhaps I should have titled it "AIBU to make you aware of this."

@PineappleDanish
The point is that the person in the middle doesn't know it is going to happen, it's just a jumping game. So I can tell my kids not to be the person doing it, but how to stop them being the victim?

OP posts:
DickAmbush · 17/02/2020 07:33

A teenager in Brazil died due to head trauma, thanks to this moronic trend. My nearly 9yo has been begging me and his dad to let him have TikTok, and I'm seriously bloody glad we've continually refused.

GinDaddy · 17/02/2020 07:34

Ok

PineappleDanish · 17/02/2020 07:36

The point is that the person in the middle doesn't know it is going to happen, it's just a jumping game.

Well let's hope the hysterical "warning" from school hasn't put the idea into anyone's head!

Sparklfairy · 17/02/2020 07:37

It's nothing to do with or anything like momo Hmm there is nothing wrong with starting a thread on MN to make other parents at least aware this is a dangerous trend.

PineappleDanish · 17/02/2020 07:46

People do stupid stuff on the internet ALL THE TIME. Whether it's pouring a bucket of ice over your head, dabbing, dancing alongside a moving car, flipping bottles, eating washing pods, planking....

My point stands - that it is wise in general terms to teach your kids that doing stupid/dangerous stuff, whether filming it or not, is obviously stupid and dangerous. And making sure that you are aware of what they're up to online.

But OTT warnings about some craze will have zero effect, apart from whipping up the hysteria. If you google "skull breaker challenge", all that comes up is dire warnings about it. It's MOMO2.

Mummyoflittledragon · 17/02/2020 07:51

My dd has tik tok. These warning make me feel sick. If I tell dd about them, I widen the circle of knowledge of such dangerous things. If I don’t and something happens, it’s also on me. Dd is 11 and sensible btw so I don’t expect her to act on them. But she may speak to her friends, who will speak to others etc.

I will talk to her when I’ve thought of what to say...

Casino218 · 17/02/2020 07:55

I can't understand some posters on here being rude to the op about alerting parents to this. If Mumsnet has a purpose then surely this is it! If you take offence at this then you have a serious problem!

Sparklfairy · 17/02/2020 07:58

Tiktok is dangerous because the algorithm means it's much easier for any video to go viral. People hop on 'trends' whether it's dances or challenges or whatever because its so easy to get views and likes that way.

I'm not a parent but I do use tiktok. Ive seen some pretty scary videos of injuries all in the name of getting 'likes'. The general consensus in the comments is that it's 'worth it' Shock

Some pps just dismissing this or saying it's scare mongering really don't have a clue.

EmeraldShamrock · 17/02/2020 07:58

Thank you for sharing OP. I can warn DD incase 2 twats ask her to jump between them in school today. Forewarned is Forearmed.

FineWordsForAPorcupine · 17/02/2020 07:59

Look, all of these panics about "crazes" that are sweeping the Internet and that you need to WARN your child about right now are exactly the same - a couple of videos (which are often doctored or faked) which are then presented with as evidence that it's a real phenomenon.

You've presented ONE video (haven't watched it, don't know if it's real) and claimed that this is a trend that kids are doing to each other all over the world. All it does is make hundreds of parents hysterical about a non existent threat.

FineWordsForAPorcupine · 17/02/2020 08:01

Eg, the panic about the "tide pod challenge" :

www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/internet/2018/01/only-86-teens-ate-tide-pods-so-why-did-world-erupt-moral-panic

SweetpeaOrMarigold · 17/02/2020 08:07

Thanks, will keep an eye out for this one. 10yo is daft and will go along with whatever his friends are doing

SweetpeaOrMarigold · 17/02/2020 08:09

@FineWordsforaPorcupine if you had watched the video, you would know theres are lots of short clips of multiple people doing this 'challenge'
No idea why MN always has to pull apart the OP, if you don't like it then scroll on by

JudyCoolibar · 17/02/2020 08:14

So I can tell my kids not to be the person doing it, but how to stop them being the victim?

Tell them not to get into jumping games.

Jjttmm · 17/02/2020 08:17

I have heard of a few examples of this happening at my nephew’s school (uk). School seem to be coming down hard on it.

FineWordsForAPorcupine · 17/02/2020 08:17

No idea why MN always has to pull apart the OP, if you don't like it then scroll on by

It's not about pulling apart the OP, it's about the fact that "warnings" like this aren't helpful, and in fact just increase the panic about non existent "trends".

PineappleDanish · 17/02/2020 08:17

Everyone watching the YouTube video - you do understand how these things work, don't you? Views rapidly rising on YouTube content increase ad revenue for the person who uploaded it. Potentially encouraging other people to try to replicate the "stunt" to make cash, or become a YouTube star.

By clicking, watching and sharing YOU are the ones helping this craze to spread.