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Stay safe! Whatever you do, don’t do the #BirdBoxChallenge!

On Thursday (January 3, 2018), Netflix begged fans not to do anything “stupid” after one of its latest movie titles inspired a social media challenge where participants attempt to carry out tasks while blindfolded.

Over 45 million … that’s how many Netflix accounts watched the psychological horror flick ‘Bird Box’ (@birdboxmovie).

“Took off my blindfold this morning to discover that 45,037,125 Netflix accounts have already watched ‘Bird Box’ – best first 7 days ever for a Netflix film!’ the company wrote in a tweet on December 28, 2018 featuring a GIF image of lead actress Sandra Bullock saying: ‘Oh my god’ as she pulls off her blindfold (see Twitter post below).

The movie follows a mother and two children as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world where invisible monsters invade the bodies of human victims through the sense of sight and force them to commit suicide.

‘Bird Box’ has been a popular topic on social media since its release – with most conversations centering around the cliffhanger ending.

Some fans took to social media posting photos and videos of them doing the so-called #BirdBoxChallenge. Here’s one post that I felt guilty for laughing at:

https://twitter.com/birdboxmemes/status/1078251314331639808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1078251314331639808&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Ftechnology%2Fonline%2Fsocial%2Fnetflix-says-dont-do-the-stupid-bird-box-challenge%2Fnews-story%2F29516ffc43ef703f032cd53d6fa9cbf5

Dark Side Of Social Media Challenges

According to a report, most ‘social media challenges’ are harmless but some are increasingly dark and have shocking consequences.

“Because of the prevalence of social media and because of its widespread adoption, kids are being exposed to so many things” and the adolescent brain is “hugely vulnerable” to the pitfalls of social media, leading child researcher Dr Kristy Goodwin said in the news report.

There can be a sense of “peer acceptance” that compels some teens to participate in such online challenges, even if they might be exceedingly risky or harmful.

“Social media caters to so many of our basic needs to feel connected and competent,” Dr Goodwin said. “Because we’re humans and we want to feel like we’re connected there’s almost a sense of allegiance. If I emulate what others are doing, I’m fitting in.”

Even the most inane viral fad like “planking” resulted in the death of a 20-year-old who fell to his death after attempting to plank on the seventh-floor balcony of an apartment block. 

Let’s just hope that the #BirdBoxChallenge doesn’t get out of hand!

Have you watched the Bird Box movie? If you haven’t, stop reading and go watch it on Netflix!

If you have seen Bird Box, do share your theories in the comments section below. Neue can also be reached via Facebook and Instagram.