What is the TikTok Blackout Challenge that led to the death of 10-yr-old in Italy?

Team Udayavani, Jan 23, 2021, 11:16 AM IST

Italian prosecutors have opened a probe into the accidental death of a 10-year-old girl who allegedly took part in a “blackout challenge” on the video-sharing network TikTok.

‘Blackout Challenge’ has been circulating on social media platforms including TikTok over the last year. Also known as ‘the fainting game’, ‘the game of choking’ or ‘speed dreaming’, it requires users to cause themselves to pass out for some time.

Investigators said, the girl had tried the “blackout challenge,” where kids attempt to temporarily suffocate themselves to get a feeling of euphoria. Several people on TikTok took the challenge, and the girl’s parents said she would have noticed it there

As reported by HT, Medical experts have warned about the danger of the challenge being taken up by some young people, who refer to it as “scarfing” or “the choking game” in which restricted oxygen to the brain results in a high.