A 10-year-old Pennsylvania gir died in 2021 after attempting a dangerous challenge she saw on social media. The challenge is called the "Blackout Challenge," and while it's actually something kids have been attempting for years, social media has made the game more widespread.
The challenge dares participants to see how long they can hold their breath, eventually causing them to pass out. Nyla Anderson was found unconscious in her bedroom on December 12 after allegedly trying the challenge.
When the little girl was discovered, she was immediately rushed to Nemours Children's Hospital. She did not survive. Now her mother is left asking, "Why?"
"I'm so hurt," her mother, Tawainna Anderson, told WPVI. "This is a pain that won't go away. It's at the top of my throat. I am so hurt."
Sadly, Nyla is not the first child to lose her life from this challenge. Just this year, at least three other children — Joshua Haileyesus, 12; Robert Craig, 10; and LaTerius Smith Jr., 9 — have died while attempting the dangerous Blackout Challenge.
Nyla's mother didn't say that TikTok was where her daughter saw the challenge, but it has been trending on the social media platform. A spokesperson for the network addressed the young girl's death in a statement.
"This disturbing 'challenge,' which people seem to learn about from sources other than TikTok, long predates our platform and has never been a TikTok trend," the spokesperson said. "We remain vigilant in our commitment to user safety and would immediately remove related content if found.
"Our deepest sympathies go out to the family for their tragic loss."
In the wake of her child's death, Nyla's mother wants parents to remember to be vigilant about what kinds of content their kids are viewing. "Make sure you check your kids' phones," she said. "You never know what you might find on their phones."
"She was a butterfly," she said of her daughter. "She was everything. She was a happy child."
A GoFundMe page has been started to help Nyla's family pay for her funeral.
