WCNC/YouTubeFirefighters in the US have been forced to warn kids against an extremely dumb ‘outlet challenge’ on TikTok, which could put them and their families in serious danger.
In a turn of events that makes the ice cream lickers of Walmart look positively intellectual, teens are now making TikTok videos of themselves partially inserting a phone charger into a plug socket, before rolling a penny down the wall and onto the exposed prongs.
Unsurprisingly, this is a stupendously dangerous thing to do – resulting in sparks, electrical system damage, and even fires.
You can find out more about this exceedingly stupid challenge here:
Taking to their Facebook page, Holden Fire Department in Massachusetts have issued a stern warning to parents of teenagers, urging them to make themselves aware of just how destructive this challenge could be.
According to this statement, such behaviour could well result in ‘fire incidents and cause serious injury’:
The Holden Fire Department would like to warn parents of a new viral teen video that may result in fire incidents and cause serious injury.
State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey released an advisory today to inform the general public of two incidents that have taken place in Massachusetts, one of which was in Holden. We would like parents to be aware of the new ‘challenge’.
The ‘challenge’ seen on the popular video app, TikTok, involves using the plug part of a phone charger, partially inserting it into the wall outlet, and then sliding a penny down the wall onto the exposed prongs. The result is sparks, electrical system damage, and in some cases fire.
The statement continues:
These videos are a concern and similar to past viral videos that encourage unsafe behaviour. We are alerting parents to this challenge, and advise them to not only look for signs of fire play like scorched outlets, but to have conversations about fire and electrical safety with tweens and teenagers.
[…] In addition to electrical fire safety, the department would like to remind parents and children to discuss the dangers of certain online ‘challenges’ and recognizing the dangerous activity on the internet.
Advisory – Viral Teen Video Resulting in Fire IncidentsThe Holden Fire Department would like to warn parents of a new…
Posted by Holden Fire Department on Tuesday, January 21, 2020
The statement went on to encourage people to adhere to electrical fire safety tips, as recommended by the US Fire Administration.
These guidelines advise Americans to insert plugs fully into sockets and to install tamper-resistant electrical outlets if there are young children in the house.
People are also urged to replace wall outlets if plugs are damaged and don’t fit tightly enough in the socket, to avoid overloading outlets and to never, ever force a three-pronged plug into an outlet meant for two prongs.
Please, please listen to these firefighters and do not – under any circumstances – try this at home.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.