A 12-year-old boy in England has died after reportedly attempting the "blackout challenge," a social media trend that involves self-strangulation. West Yorkshire Police responded to a Friday call about a child in distress, but the boy from Castleford, identified only as Sebastian by loved ones, was later pronounced dead at the hospital, People reports. A GoFundMe campaign set up by Agnieszka Czerniejewska, a family friend, claims Sebastian's death was caused by the challenge, which was linked to at least 20 deaths as of 2022, most involving children under 13.
The fundraiser describes Sebastian as a talented, joyful boy who loved music and art. Czerniejewska writes that his parents gave him "all the love and care in the world," but a single moment changed their lives. The campaign urges parents to discuss the risks of online trends with their children, highlighting the dangers found on social media. Czerniejewska calls Sebastian's death "a quiet call for awareness," encouraging vigilance and open conversations to prevent further tragedies.
The incident comes as TikTok faces lawsuits from families of other children who died after attempting the same challenge. The parents of four British teens who died from self-strangulation in 2022 filed a wrongful death lawsuit against TikTok, "a dangerous and addictive product," and parent company ByteDance in February, arguing the platform's algorithm promoted harmful content to young users, per the Guardian. TikTok says it has blocked challenge-related content since 2020 and directs users searching for such material to safety resources. Asphyxiation, Healthline notes, can cause permanent brain damage and death in less than five minutes.
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