A prank that has been around for several years is seeing an increase in popularity on social media.
The “eraser challenge” has kids rubbing a rubber eraser on their arm as they recite the alphabet. The friction on the skin often leads to cuts, scrapes and sometimes burns. If you last the longest and have the grossest wound, you apparently are the winner.
The challenge is occurring throughout the country, and to add fuel to the fire, kids are recording the challenges and posting them on YouTube and social media.
Today.com reports that a North Carolina middle school even issued a warning on Facebook to parents about the trend after several students were hurt.
Another middle school in New Jersey told students of the health issues that can arise from rubbing a dirty pencil eraser on your skin — including staph or strep skin infections, tetanus or diseases that can be passed by blood and bodily fluids.
So what can you do as a parent to keep your kids from partaking in such a challenge? Simplemost offered the tips below:
- Do your research. Learn what the latest fads are so you aren’t blindsided.
- Discuss the dangers with your kids. For a California teen, the challenge ended with a hospital visit. Educating your kids on how they can be injured may prevent them from trying.
- Watch the videos together, and discuss. Talking to kids alone may not be enough, but seeing the sometimes gruesome challenges could help them become ingrained in kids’ memories.
- Encourage them to say no, or push them to participate in a safer alternative instead that challenges the brain.
So why would kids do something that can lead to injuries for short-lived internet fame? Some say the students want to prove they are tough, or because they think it is a joke.
Whatever the reason may be, using these tips to help your children navigate through whatever challenge may be popular on social media can help keep them safe —and you informed!
