VIRAL INTERNET CHALLENGES
Admit it, the Internet has gripped us by storm. We’re all hooked to it, whether to research a project due the next day or to post tongue-sticking-out selfies on Instagram. Jostling amongst the myriad things that have gone “online”, challenges are now a rage. Since it is in the nature of humans to compete, no matter it be for the most insignificant things, online challenges do hog the limelight. They’re a great way to try something new, kill time and make you look abysmally foolish; but can be hazardous, left to poor reasoning. A few well-known challenges are:
The “In My Feelings/Kiki Challenge”- If you haven’t heard of this one, you live under a rock – on the planet Mercury. Because everyone everywhere is taking up this one; I wouldn’t be surprised if a Martian hopped out of his (or her; Martians don’t discriminate) spaceship and boogied their way to Instagram. But while insurance policies may be great on Mars, I can’t quite say the same for them on Earth. This challenge can be pretty dangerous with all the traffic about, but some bright spark decided to take this to the next level, avoiding all traffic by performing the Kiki challenge in a Virar train. I’d just like to say let’s not try crazy stunts and keep our common sense and sense of self-preservation around with us since the scientific community is no longer calling for volunteers to corroborate Charles Darwin’s theory of Evolution – survival of the smartest.
The Ice-Bucket Challenge- To me, the idea of dousing oneself with ice-cold water is equivalent to a writing an invitation to Mr. P. Neumonia. But it is for a good cause; the tagged person must either give $100 to the ALS Association (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis- a neurological disease; and don’t you pretend you knew what it stood for!) or pour ice water over themselves and donate a smaller amount. I guess this is kind of fun as long as it doesn’t leave you with a cold.
The Cinnamon Challenge- Personally, I see no cause to gulp down a tablespoon of powdered cinnamon, except to be a spectacle for online viewers. There runs a risk of choking and I do believe someone had to be rushed to a hospital. This is a rather foolish challenge, but I think it was worth a mention since it was one of the earliest challenges to flood the internet.
To conclude, I would just like to say that – like with anything else – it’s okay to take up these challenges (who wouldn’t like the idea of ticking them off the bucket list) as long as we take our good sense with us and pray the video footage doesn’t land up in the hands of our prospective spouses or employers.
-Theta201
The Rotaract Club of Kishinchand Chellaram College 