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A new and dangerous challenge is spreading like wildfire on TikTok. The ‘Angel of Death’ challenge is making teens jump in front of moving trucks and vehicles. It is not surprising that the trend has proved to be fatal, with two teenagers losing their lives to the dangerous challenge already. The two teens are reportedly from Indonesia, which is also where the challenge originated.
Elaborating on the ‘Angel of Death’ challenge
Reportedly known as "Malaikat Maut" in the local language of Indonesia, the ‘Angel of Death’ challenge is a move in the wrong direction when it comes to social media trends. Impressionable teens are rapidly getting involved in this deadly challenge without considering the consequences. As per the trend, the participant has to run and jump in front of a moving vehicle. The challenge is complete if the vehicle stops before hitting the person.
TikTok has given rise to wild, dangerous challenges previously also, and they have proved to be life-threatening in many cases. This time, the ‘Angel of Death’ challenge is impacting teens, and it has already proved to be fatal. Two teenagers in Indonesia lost their lives after getting involved in this gruesome challenge. They reportedly suffered skull injuries, which proved to be the final blow.
To make matters even worse, they were not alone when they attempted this challenge. They ran towards the truck alongside 14 other kids. Most of them were injured, with two of them dying due to the incident.
The trend has gone viral in Indonesia, and people are being urged to try it out for themselves. However, it is important to condemn trends like these so that young adults are not pressured into performing them for the sake of social media relevance.
Sadly enough, this is not even the first time that the trend has been seen on TikTok. The ‘Angel of Death’ challenge dates back a few years, but it gained popularity last year when it took the life of a 13-year-old child who attempted the challenge with eight other teenagers. Three of them were hit by the moving lorry, and one person died, with others sustaining injuries as well.
A similar case was also reported on June 2 when two boys from Bandung, West Java, attempted the challenge. The 14-year old boy who attempted the challenge merely to get famous on the platform lost his life, and his friend was left badly wounded.
The ‘Angel of Death’ should also be reported and prohibited on TikTok, so it can join other deadly challenges like the Benardyl challenge and the blackout challenge in being banned from the platform.
Users should be encouraged to report such videos on the social media platform instead of helping them go viral. Many destructive and harmful trends often make their way through the algorithm of social media platforms which end up harming teenagers and children. It is important for us to be proactive in eliminating challenges like these at the very root.
