Mom Blames TikTok for 10-Year-Old Daughter’s Death, Says She Participated in “Black Out” Challenge

A distraught mother is warning other parents of a dangerous TikTok challenge that she says is responsible for her daughter’s death.

Nyla Anderson, 10, was found unconscious in her room in Pennsylvania after engaging with the viral “black-out” trend on TikTok. The challenge shows a participant holding their breath until they pass out. New to social media but an old trend from the 90s.

The New York Post says that the challenge was known in the 90s as the “fainting game” or “choke challenge.” It spread by word of mouth. However, with social media, the hashtag black out challenge has received over a million views with participants filming themselves trying to do the challenge. Anderson isn’t the only child this year that has fallen victim to the disturbing challenge.

Anderson is at least the fifth child to die from the challenge. In June, LaTerius Smith Jr., 9, was found unconscious in his Tennessee home after attempting the challenge. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Another child died during June while recording themselves during the challenge in Oklahoma. Joshua Haileyesus, 12, passed out in his bathroom. He died three weeks later in the hospital. A 10-year-old girl was found dead by her sister in her bathroom after doing the challenge.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention identified around 82 deaths from the “choking game” between 1995 to 2007. Anderson’s parents are warning other parents to check their children’s phones.

Anderson’s mom says “She was everything. She was a happy child. This is a pain that won’t go away. It’s at the top of my throat. I am so hurt.”

TikTok has tried to recognize hoaxes and dangerous challenges by filtering out results for the “black out” challenge. When searched, “Learn how to recognize harmful challenges and hoaxes,” pops up on the screen. The social media company allows users and creators to report any videos that pertain to the dangerous challenge.