Potentially dangerous social media trends are getting kids, and potentially homeowners, into trouble this summer while kids are out of school.
Currently, two social media trends are capturing attention: the “UrbanEx” or “urban exploration” challenge, and the “door-kicking challenge.”
“There seems to be a new trend almost daily. … When you visit the For You Page (FYP), you can see what’s gaining popularity. It’s not long before you find content made by children, which is concerning in and of itself. Many kids under 13 … aren’t legally permitted to use social media,” expressed Titania Jordan, CMO and chief parent officer at Bark Technologies, a parental control app, during a conversation with Fox News Digital.
She noted that social media challenges incentivize users to create “content that evokes a reaction,” adding that such content possesses viral qualities and frequently resurfaces, fueled by the algorithm.
Last year, a 23-year-old man named Guillermo Leflore, known as “Urbex Tarzan” on TikTok, was arrested after officials said he trespassed on private property while exploring steam tunnels. It wasn’t his first time attempting a dangerous stunt for social media; he is accused of previously attempting to climb the Milwaukee Art Museum, as FOX 6 Milwaukee first reported.
Ari Lightman, professor of digital media and marketing at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, told Fox News Digital that social media trends resemble what used to be games of truth-or-dare “on steroids.”
“Especially in states that have stand-your-ground laws, very, very worrisome.”
“You’re reaching tens of thousands of people. You’re not daring somebody face-to-face,” Lightman said. “Why are they doing that? Is it just to get likes, and those likes might turn into followers, and those followers might turn into advertisers, and those advertisers might turn into profits for some people? Is it even real, or is it AI generated?”
Defenders of the UrbanEx trend say it exposes historically significant structures that have been left to rot; many social media users have been calling on local city leaders to revive abandoned schools, houses, churches and event spaces.
Another trend called “UrbanEx” has made headlines recently for putting participating social media users behind bars. The “challenge” encourages users to explore abandoned buildings, from old schools to churches to retail and entertainment establishments. (iStock)
“Just the general lack of respect amongst children today, whether it’s for people’s property in the classroom or other people’s feelings, it’s a big problem. They’re lacking empathy and respect because they’re spending too much time in front of a screen and not enough understanding in real-life human emotion,” Jordan said.
She advised parents to join a Facebook group called “Parenting in a Tech World” where the “latest trends are being shared there from parents whose children are experiencing it in real time.” She also advised parents to talk to their kids candidly and calmly about what they are seeing online, and Google the trends that are appearing on the social media pages.
“Maybe your kid’s playing Roblox and you don’t think it’s safe. Google dangers of Roblox. Show your child how other children have been harmed by adults they have been lured by on that platform so they realize you’re not just being overprotective,” she said.
“All you can do is have candid calm conversations with them, and not just talking to them or talking at them, but asking them what they’ve seen. What did they think? What do they think the dangers are of hanging around an old building and recording it? Maybe they say they don’t know, and that can encourage a conversation right there.”
