#TidePodChallenge

 Hi everyone, it's me AGAIN!

    Do you ever wonder what sparks someone's mind into doing silly social media challenges, and by silly I mean challenges like - the ice bucket challenge or even challenges like standing in the mirror with someone else and turning the light of to then you have both swapped clothes - aka #FlipTheSwitch. It's viral challenges like these that are somehow so fascinating to us. 

    Today's society is so gullible to do anything trendy. TikTok for example is the new creator in developing random challenges for kids and even adults. The simple sixty second videos are easy to follow and quick to learn. You will see a lot and I mean....A LOT of kids, teens, and even adults doing TikTok dances publicly (how embarrassing - I know). The reason so many social media challenges become so popular and successful is because they are so easy to follow. Especially when you create a hashtag, like from my example above - #FlipTheSwitch - these challenges will somehow pop up on your "for you page" (#fyp) because they are what is trending at the moment. Most of the challenges are supposed to be fun and inclusive for everyone, but in my opinion most of them are just REALLY silly. Let's not even get me started on the thirty day song challenge (LIKE WHY), which was where people would post a song of their choosing each day for ~thirty days~. On all of your social media platforms, usually things of your likes and interest will pop up even if you are not following them. 

    Social media challenges are what cures boredom for society nowadays, they have especially carried us through the Coronavirus pandemic. Creating social media challenges has been a way for many people to creatively pass the time during the pandemic. Challenges are so popular now that even Instagram added a "challenge sticker" for people to put-on their stories to make it easier for people to follow the challenges (this is similar to a hashtag, but more creative). There are many different challenges but there are challenges that can bring the family together, challenges to create art, and like I said above - challenges like dance routines. The choreographed dance routines on TikTok are annoyingly popular. Honestly, if you were at any public place and you looked around, I am almost positive you would see one person filming themselves dancing with their phone propped up on a wall. There are literally people who have gotten famous and get PAID for doing these dancing (that is crazy to me). Can you just imagine dancing for your own phone for just sixty second and then getting paid for it? 

    Let's talk about another popular challenge, the challenge you have ALL been waiting for.....the #TidePodChallenge. For some odd reason, people won't necessarily consider the fact that eating laundry detergent could kill you. Have you ever heard of clout? Well, these people do dumb and harmful social media challenges just for CLOUT. No one is sure how this challenge started, but the point is that there are people in our world that will do anything to get views on social media. Now I have a question for whoever is reading this (Hi Dr.Vrooman), do you think that there is a problem with social media challenges? Of course there are different levels of severity for each challenge, but does not doing a less severe social media challenge still create a high severe social media challenge? Obviously it is sad that there are people out in the world that participate in these challenges for fame, but the world is still giving these people attention which could be part of the problem as well. 

   Sadly, we all know that in today's society anyone will do absolutely anything they see on social media. Although most of the challenges that are created are very silly and dumb, they can actually be very entertaining. There are a few social media challenges that are fun, inclusive - and maybe if it is a workout challenge, good for you. With that being said, no matter what challenge you or someone else has created, just for heaven's sake make sure you don't send yourself to the hospital! #TidePodChallenge!