Challenge Blackout Trend Eats Casualties, What's That?

JAKARTA - On June 27, 2025, a 12-year-old boy at Castleford, England, died after participating in the blackout challenge trend.

West Yorkshire Police said that the child's condition was terrible when he was taken to the hospital and soon died.

The death of the child made the downward challenge trend in the public spotlight. This trend is a challenge that involves how long a person can hold his breath.

"This is a trend that seems to emerge along with the development of each generation," said Child Emergency Medicine Specialist at Johns Hopkins, Mary Beth Howards, MSC, quoted from Healthline, on Wednesday, July 2.

The game is dangerous and is included in several social media trends, especially TikTok which can be fatal. This is because when playing it, someone has to hold their breath for a certain time that can cause asphyticsia.

These conditions can limit oxygen to the brain, which has the potential to cause seizures, serious injuries, brain damage, and even death. This condition can be experienced by anyone, and experiences different risk symptoms depending on the body.

Everyone's response to this challenge varies. So, someone can pass out within seconds, one may need close to a minute,' he added.

Some people who do blackout challenge may lose consciousness much faster than expected and are very dangerous. Therefore, this game should be avoided and not carried out under any circumstances.

However, this trend is still being carried out to date and is a development in every generation. In 2022, it is reported that at least 20 deaths have been linked to the game of asphysia, with the victim aged 12 years or younger.