Over the years, we’ve seen heartbreaking headlines tied to dangerous social media challenges. Now, another young life has been lost — this time, 12-year-old Sebastian from Castleford, England.
What was meant to be a joyful day — celebrating his little brother’s first Holy Communion – turned into a nightmare no family should ever face.
”A dangerous internet challenge took his life”
Sebastian was reportedly found unresponsive on Friday, June 27. According to his father Marcin, the young boy had attempted the so-called “blackout challenge,” a dangerous trend circulating on platforms like TikTok.
The challenge encourages kids to choke themselves — often with a scarf — to the point of unconsciousness, in a disturbing attempt to achieve a brief high from oxygen deprivation.
Police confirmed: ”Officers attended the location and the boy was taken to hospital where it was later confirmed that he had died. Enquiries are ongoing on behalf of the West Yorkshire Coroner to establish exactly what happened. The incident is not being treated as suspicious.”
A GoFundMe created by family friends paints a vivid picture of who Sebastian really was: “Sebastian was only 12 years old. A boy full of dreams, passion, and incredible talent. He taught himself to play the guitar and keyboard, and he loved to draw. Always smiling, kind, and full of joy — everyone who met him was touched by his gentle spirit.”
“He had loving parents who did everything they could to give him a safe and happy childhood. They would have given him the stars. Sadly, one brief moment changed everything. A dangerous internet challenge took his life.”
The page is raising money for funeral costs, therapy for his grieving parents, and lost wages.
But the message goes beyond donations — it’s a warning to all parents:
“Let it be a quiet call for awareness—a reminder to stay close, to talk more, to protect the ones we love. So that other children may live. So that no other parent has to experience this unimaginable pain.”
This isn’t an isolated case. Just four months ago, 13-year-old Nnamdi Glenn Ohaeri Jr. from Murrieta, California, also died after trying the same challenge. His mother discovered him unconscious in his room and attempted CPR, but it was too late.
Peer pressure and influence
In Nnamdi’s case, his parents had placed strict parental controls on his phone, believing they had done everything possible to protect him online. That’s why they now suspect he may have learned about the “blackout challenge” through classmates at school.
After losing their son, the Ohaeri family chose to speak out — determined to shed light on the hidden dangers kids face today, not only through social media but also from peer pressure and influence.
“As a parent, I’ve always been mindful of outside influences,” Ohaeri Sr. told KTLA.
“We talk about drugs and other dangers, but we don’t talk about not following social media trends or playing these so-called ‘games.’ And maybe we need to.”
The “blackout challenge” first surfaced online in 2021, and its deadly impact continues to haunt families across the globe. According to a 2022 report by The Independent, the so-called challenge had been tied to at least 20 deaths in just a year and a half — most of them children. Shockingly, 15 of the victims were 12 years old or younger.
Right now, a major lawsuit is underway in the U.S. targeting TikTok over the tragic deaths of several children who allegedly died after attempting the viral “blackout challenge.”
The lawsuit
As reported by The Guardian, the lawsuit — filed in February — claims that four children, Isaac Kenevan (13), Archie Battersbee (12), Julian “Jools” Sweeney (14), and Maia Walsh (13), all lost their lives in 2022 while trying the dangerous trend.
Lawyers representing the families didn’t hold back. “TikTok’s algorithm purposely targeted these children with dangerous content to increase their engagement time on the platform and drive revenue,” said an attorney from the Social Media Victims Law Center. “It was a clear and deliberate business decision by TikTok that cost these four children their lives.”
TikTok, for its part, has pushed back. The company says it’s been blocking searches and hashtags related to the challenge since 2020. Their guidelines claim to prohibit harmful content and challenges, and TikTok says it actively removes such videos and redirects users searching for them to safety resources.
Parents, please — talk to your children. Ask what they’re watching. Who they’re talking to. What trends they’re following. One conversation could save a life.
You can support Sebastian’s family through this GoFundMe page.
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