A 12-year-old girl in Argentina died this week after attempting the deadly “choking challenge” first popularized on TikTok. The girl, Milagros Soto, had been discovered dead in her home after allegedly participating in the viral “choking challenge” — one of several fatal fads to circulate on TikTok. The little girl was found hanging from a makeshift noose, local outlet El Litoral reported.
This dangerous stunt, also known as the “blackout challenge,” encourages internet users to asphyxiate themselves until passing out. The challenge has been spreading rapidly on social media platforms and experts have warned that it is potentially dangerous — and can result in fainting, brain damage, seizures and worse.
“We are inconsolable [because] we gave her so much love,” the victim’s aunt Laura Luque told Jam Press of the tragedy. “I believe someone encouraged her to do it,” declared the victim’s aunt Laura Luque.
TikTok has been actively working to remove such content from its platform and it encourages users to flag anybody engaged in the challenge by clicking the symbol that says “Report.” Despite this, dangerous challenges like the choking challenge continue to be shared on the platform.
Soto had reportedly been bullied at school. Her aunt claims that the student had received a WhatsApp message with the link to the challenge after getting bullied at school. “She suffered a lot with bullying,” said the aunt. “She told us no one wanted her at school because she was pretty with blond hair.”
Soto had tried the challenge twice successfully, but failed to remove the noose on the third attempt, according to Jam Press. “On the third occasion, she could not remove the rope from her neck,” lamented Luque of the fatal incident, which was reportedly captured on camera.
Soto’s motivation for attempting the deadly stunt is yet unclear. Despite her prior explanation, the little girl’s aunt said she harbored “many doubts about everything that happened to her” as “she was a very smart girl.”
Soto isn’t the first youngster to tragically perish from the disturbing online stunt. Over the summer, UK youths Leon Brown, 14, and Archie Battersbee, 12, allegedly died due to the same viral menace.
The incident had reportedly been captured on film. Authorities have launched a probe to try and get to the bottom of the preteen’s death. The community was devastated over little Soto’s loss.“We support our student’s family in this terrible moment,” said a spokesperson for School 223 Tte. Gral. Pablo Ricchieri, where the victim attended. They described the deceased as “great student, friend, sweet, good and kind.”
The tragic death of Milagros Soto highlights the dangers of these viral challenges on social media platforms. The internet is a powerful tool but it also has its own dangers. It is important for parents to monitor their children’s online activities and for social media platforms to take more stringent measures to remove such dangerous content from their platforms.
It is also crucial for educators, parents and caregivers to educate children on the dangers of the internet, and to teach them to be critical thinkers and to make safe choices online.
