What will kids do for a crack at racking up expenses on mom and dad’s plastic? Crack their foreheads, apparently – or at least hit their heads against a wall. Literally. That’s pretty much what’s happening in a new round of viral challenges.
Case in point: In a video posted to Twitter, Kevin Girouex’s son stands in anticipation by a kitchen cabinet as dad holds a credit card flush against the wall in front of him.
When Girouex drops the card, his son bangs his head against the cabinet in an attempt to catch it without using his hands. After failing, he falls to the ground scrambling to pick it up as his dad laughs in the background.
This video is just one of many popping up on social media where the “get that money” challenge has been accepted broadly by kids trying to get unrealistic rewards from their parents.
Card-holding participants – usually parents but sometimes older siblings or friends – know that there is a very low possibility that the kids will actually catch the cards. In fact, it seems like no kid has successfully caught a credit card yet.
However, the card-droppers also know – they must know, right? – that kids are prone to get hurt in the process.
Not surprisingly, these slapstick stunts are receiving mixed reviews.
While some viewers think it is a hilarious “teaching tool” (though what parents are trying to “teach” with the prank isn’t really clear to us), others think it’s a cruel and stupid way to embarrass kids on social media.
One Twitter user, @Gauss_pushka responded to Girouex’s video by saying, “You are really disgusting. Feel sorry for your child.”
Another user @Stevie_Gonzalez posted an article by The Sun with the caption, “New viral #challenge involves: Parents getting their own children to smash their heads against a door … Somebody pinch me and tell me the world is just a weird dream.”
A weird dream indeed, viral challenges are usually intended in good fun but can end up having dangerous results. Take, for instance the Tide Pod challenge – which accounted for 39 calls to poison control centers in the first 15 days of 2018 alone, according to an article on IFLScience.com.
Even if a viral challenge doesn’t pose health or injury risks, it still serves to humiliate those involved. The cheesed challenge involves people throwing slices of American cheese at their pets and children. While it’s physically harmless, throwing something at a trusting, unassuming baby seems mean-spirited, at least.
Viral challenges come and go, and most people don’t remember who posted what video when or why they joined in the trend in the first place. Is a potential head injury really worth a few likes or retweets?
Would you partake in a viral challenge? Would you let your kids? Let us know in the comments!
