New Delhi: The Skull Breaker challenge is catching up among teenagers and children unawares and pushing their lives to fatality and disability. Doctors in Delhi have red flagged the stunt and have asked parents to be watchful.
Dr Gaurav Rastogi, Consultant- Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement, Manipal Hospitals Dwarka, New Delhi says, “Fun can be dangerous and the Skull Breaker Challenge is a perfect example of it. Two people trying to make one people fall is a perfect recipe for somebody sustaining injuries. But if the person in the middle is inexperienced and he lands awkwardly on his back, or falls on his arms outstretched or if he is unfortunate enough to fall head first, then he can have serious injuries.
“Breaking skull, shoulders, and back, dislocation of shoulders, concussion in Head, brain fracture and even brain Haemorrhage are the risks associated with the game. You can have myriad of injuries and people especially teens should resist the urge to be part of the game,” added Dr Rastogi.
Dr. Samir Parikh,Director,Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences Fortis National Mental Health Program says, “ This is not the first time we have witnessed trends on social media that has not only be detrimental to one’s emotional well-being, but can have a lasting impact on the physical health of individuals. While we cannot always control the content that children view online, it’s important that we address these challenges with immediacy. Parents need to encourage children to open up and share what they view on social media – rather than reprimanding children however, it’s important to have conversations about such instances and use them as teaching moments.”
“As mental health professionals and educationists, inculcating media literacy is the need of the hour. Given how rampant and pervasive the impact of social media is on the lives of young people, they need to be provided with the necessary skills to think more critically about the content they view on the media, filter information effectively and make effective decisions. At the same time, students themselves must come together at this point and become responsible peer role models to be mindful of the content they view and forward to others, and also discourage the practice of trends that may put themselves or others at risk, Dr Parikh adds.
The “Skull Breaker Challenge” – a new viral online trend can put teens in danger and if not practised with care can lead to severe injuries and stress. Experts warned teens to resist the urge.
The game involves three participants standing next to each in a row before jumping straight up. While the middle person is in the air, however, the other two individuals on each end kick inward to knock the middle person off balance and subsequently hit his or her head when they fall on their back on the ground.
