You don’t have to have been around an overly long time to recall several dangerous trends that have spread their way around the population.
The advent of social media gave the human race all manner of newfound possibilities and advantages, but it also gave us a fair few problems to deal with too.
The ability to be more interconnected on a global scale than our ancestors could have fathomed in their wildest imaginations is a double-edged sword, after all. Being able to share videos, pictures, and information to anyone in the world at the click of a button has its perks, of course, but it also means that potentially harmful content can spread like literal wildfire.
Doctors and fire officials have issued a warning to parents regarding a dangerous social media trend involving the popular NeeDoh Cubes, after several children were left with serious injuries requiring hospital treatment.
NeeDoh Cubes are sensory toys that can be squished and squeezed before slowly returning to their original shape. They’ve become popular among children, though a worrying new trend has forced certain authorities to raise an alarm.
As per reports, children have been heating their NeeDoh Cubes in the microwave to make them softer. The packaging warns customers not to heat, freeze, or microwave the toys, and for good reason.
A number of children have been left with serious burns after the products reportedly burst due to having been heated in the microwave.
Nassau County Fire Commission and Fire Marshal’s Office in New York described the social media trend as “extremely dangerous” and warned it could “lead to severe injury or death.”
In a Facebook post, the Nassau County Fire Commission and Fire Marshal’s Office said that “several children around the world have suffered third-degree burns to the face,” including a child in Nassau County who suffered “second-and-third-degree burns.”
“Toys are intended to be played with, as described on the label. Misusing a product by heating in a microwave, oven, or stovetop is dangerous,” the post said.
“Parents, guardians, and other caretakers are urged to monitor any activities of children when they are in the kitchen. Accidents can happen to an adult in the kitchen, even if they take precautions, so for a child who doesn’t know any better, the risk is even greater.”
Chicago mother Whitney Grub told ABC 7 that her nine-year-old son, Caleb Chabolla, was left with second-degree burns to his face.
“The right side of his face was kind of melting off, basically,” Whitney said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Alicia Webb, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Children’s of Alabama hospital, advised parents to be aware and vigilant concerning social media challenges.
“Parents need to be aware of this trend and all dangerous social media challenges because they can pose a serious risk to children, and the children participating are not yet mature enough to recognize the danger for themselves,” she told The New York Post.
Reacting to news of the social media trend, Schylling, the company that makes NeeDoh Cubes, stressed that consumer safety remains its top priority, stating that their toys should never be heated or frozen.
“Ensuring the safety of our consumers is fundamental for Schylling,” a company representative said. “We are disappointed to see there has been a trend on social media demonstrating misuse of our NeeDoh products. Misusing a NeeDoh product by microwaving, heating, or freezing is dangerous and could cause injury to the consumer.”
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