TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms rivalling the success of other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. A dangerous new trend called the “Milk Crate Challenge” has first appeared on TikTok and its spreading its way to Twitter and Instagram as well. This new viral video trend has encountered a lot of controversy.
The Milk Crate Challenge involves setting up plastic milk crates in a staircase or pyramid like fashion and attempting to walk on top of them to the other side. There have been many videos of people attempting the almost impossible challenge on the internet. These videos usually end with the milk crates collapsing to the ground and the person falling to the ground. Health concerns from doctors and safety experts have led some social media platforms like TikTok to remove videos of the challenge, in order to prevent others from sustaining serious injuries. Medical professionals are saying that this dangerous challenge is putting an additional strain on hospital systems because participants who do not complete the walk “often need medical attention afterwards.” With the recent resurgence in COVID cases and hospitalizations, this trend is just one more things for hospitals to worry about. Even the FDA condemned the challenge in response to a celebrity’s tweet.
Dr. Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon based in Atlanta, Georgia, said that, “This is probably the one that I’ve seen that has the highest potential for bodily injury that will take people out not just of their daily lives, but could have lifelong implications.” Dr. Shawn Anthony, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at Mount Sinai said that, “The Milk Crate Challenge is very dangerous, and we are seeing many orthopedic injuries as a result of the falls.” He also said that, “Injuries can include broken wrists, shoulder dislocations, ACL and meniscus tears, as well as life-threatening conditions like spinal cord injuries.” In response to the outcry, TikTok has removed videos involving the Milk Crate Challenge.