For several years, challenges emerging on TikTok have proven dangerous to the health of Internet users, often very young and unaware of the potentially fatal outcome of the challenge they set themselves. Despite countless alarm bells sounded by the authorities, the social network continues to be problematic... While the "Zizi challenge" is causing a reaction from the police, a look back at the controversial challenges of recent years.
The "Zizi challenge", a challenge reported by the authorities
#VosSignalements | A new challenge aimed at young boys is circulating on social networks. This competition, called the "zizi challenge," involves pushing them to post videos of their intimate anatomy on YouTube. The juvenile office (OFMIN) handles the reports and... pic.twitter.com/9RtUA1pqrB
— Police nationale (@PoliceNationale) April 2, 2025
As you may have understood, the concept of the "Zizi challenge" is written in its title, and it represents a serious threat to the safety of children and adolescents. The challenge is to show one's private parts during an otherwise ordinary video, and it overwhelmingly concerns young people aged 7 to 10, mainly boys. On the one hand, it is an illegal practice, and on the other, the content in question attracts the attention of pedophiles and malicious individuals in general, who may then try to contact them. These exhibitions, whether intentional or not, can also be found on pornographic sites: in response to this threat, the National Police has published a prevention video.
@policenationale A new challenge aimed at young boys is circulating on social media. This competition, called the "zizi challenge," involves pushing them to post videos of their intimate anatomy on YouTube. The juvenile office (OFMIN) handles reports and conducts investigations. Let's remain vigilant about children's access to digital technology. #police #policenationale #pourtoi #prevention #challenge #miners #videochallenge \u266c original sound - Police National
In addition, this content, often posted via a parent's phone, is traceable by the authorities, and the adult concerned then exposes his criminal liability. Since then, the platform has visibly deleted the hashtag associated with the "Zizi challenge", which itself directs Internet users to the videos of the National Police.
TikTok, a history punctuated by dangerous (and stupid) challenges
Cooking chicken with cough syrup...that's the new, totally stupid "challenge" on TikTok. No need to explain why it's dangerous (well, I hope).
— Dr Jimmy Mohamed (@Dr_moji) September 21, 2022
Not to mention the fact that chicken tastes better with sour cream. pic.twitter.com/UQC9hhpISL
We've already talked about this on Hitek many times: TikTok is a social network on which challenges as stupid as they are harmful are coming thick and fast. In recent years, increasingly absurd challenges, aimed primarily at its youngest users (aged 7 to 15), have regularly caused controversy. At that age, it's harder to distinguish between a fun, good-natured challenge and a deadly one. That said, as you'll see below, adults aren't necessarily more aware of the dangers... This is why almost every year, a trend emerges on social media and spreads like wildfire, sometimes resulting in one or more deaths:
The Benadryl Challenge
13-year-old dead after trying deadly TikTok “Benadryl challenge”
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) April 17, 2023
The challenge is where participants take 12 to 14 of the antihistamines — six times the recommended dose — in order to induce hallucinations. pic.twitter.com/Jhvcfy45D7
This challenge, which we told you about in 2020, consists of ingesting more than ten Benadryl pills, a drug sold over the counter in the United States, in order to induce hallucinations. Several children and adolescents have died following an overdose.
The Milk Crate Challenge
Milk Crate Challenge gone horribly wrong pic.twitter.com/xcBRKDpnby
— Crazy Clips (@crazyclipsonly) May 22, 2023
In 2021, the Milk Crate Challenge is all the rage with young people (and not so young): it involves stacking plastic milk crates to form a kind of staircase, often quite high, then climbing up and down. Fractures, head trauma, spinal injuries... A challenge widely criticized for its danger.
Boat Jumping
Police reportedly shared that at least four people have died doing the TikTok boat jumping challenge. #DramaAlertpic.twitter.com/7nYKM0l5lx
— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) July 9, 2023
In 2023, a new trend is emerging on social media: filming yourself doing a backflip off a speeding boat. This challenge didn't concern children, but it caused the death of many adults, who broke their necks on the stern.
The "Jul challenge"
Probably (a little) less dangerous than the previous ones, this challenge, born in 2024 in Germany among Jul fans, consisted of setting their fingers on fire in order to imitate the famous gesture of the French rapper. With hairspray or deodorant sprayed on their hands, all the teenagers had to do was light them with a lighter...Risk of fire and burns, the risks are not to be taken lightly.
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